Hai Duong plans to increase social subsidies from August 1, joy for the disadvantaged

From July 2021, the standard social assistance level of Hai Duong province is 380,000 VND/month. In 2023, the whole province of Hai Duong has nearly 83,700 beneficiaries of monthly social assistance with a total budget of 537 billion VND. This level of assistance is still low while salaries, pensions, social insurance benefits, monthly allowances and preferential allowance standards for meritorious people have been adjusted to increase many times.

According to information from the leaders of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Hai Duong province, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee has agreed to raise the standard level of social assistance in the province from August 1 to VND550,000/person/month, VND170,000 higher than the current level and VND50,000 higher than the Government's regulations. This content is expected to be considered at the 23rd Session of the 17th Hai Duong Provincial People's Council (regular mid-year session) in early July.

According to the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the total expected subsidy budget for beneficiaries in the community and beneficiaries at social assistance facilities under the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs when raising the social assistance standard will increase by more than 263.3 billion VND/year compared to present.

Double joy

Mr. Tran Van Quyen in Dun village, Nam Hong commune (Nam Sach) is old, his family is poor, his daughter is severely disabled, his granddaughter is just starting kindergarten. If the social assistance standard is increased to 550,000 VND/month, Mr. Quyen's family will receive 825,000 VND/month, 255,000 VND/month higher. "The family is struggling in difficult times. Now we just hope to soon increase the allowance to ease the difficult meals, and give our grandchild a bowl of medicine," Mr. Quyen shared.

For a long time, many Hai Duong residents have been hoping and petitioning to lower the age of receiving benefits from 80 to 75 years old so that the elderly can be taken care of sooner. Satisfying their expectations, on the morning of June 29, the National Assembly officially passed the amended Law on Social Insurance, "finalizing" the addition of a regulation that Vietnamese citizens aged 75 and over who do not have a pension or social insurance benefits will receive social retirement benefits.

Excited about many new policies for the disadvantaged being considered and approved, Mr. Pham Van Tam in Mieu Lang village, Dong Lac commune (Nam Sach) shared: "Now our children and grandchildren are far away, many old people are still very miserable, they cannot rely on anyone, and living until they are 80 to receive benefits is too difficult, too short. The current level of benefits is only enough for medicine, if it is increased in the future, it will help a lot, reduce the burden on children and grandchildren, so the whole family is waiting."

It can be seen that increasing the social assistance standard in Hai Duong and reducing the age of receiving benefits at this time is necessary, meeting the legitimate expectations of the disadvantaged.