Hai Duong shares difficulties with the disadvantaged
From August 1, the standard social allowance in Hai Duong has been raised to VND550,000/person/month, VND50,000 higher than the Government's regulations. This policy not only helps the disadvantaged alleviate some of the difficulties in life but also contributes to ensuring the effective implementation of the province's social security and sustainable development goals.
Less difficulty
We visited the family of Mrs. Pham Thi Gai (born in 1962 in Ba Dong village, Binh Minh commune, Binh Giang) on a rainy day. In the house built a long time ago, the furniture was in disarray. Mr. Vu Dinh Nhung (born in 1964), Mrs. Gai's husband, has been in poor health for the past few days and has not been able to work for hire. Mr. Vu Dinh Dung (born in 1991), their son, had an accident in 2008 and now has had both legs amputated and is in a wheelchair. The whole family's life depends on the social disability allowance for Mr. Dung and the allowance for the severely disabled from Mrs. Gai. When he was healthy, Mr. Nhung worked as a mortar worker to earn extra money. A few years ago, in order to make a living, Mrs. Gai and her mother rented a house in Hai Duong city and sold small items to make a living. Recently, the mother and son returned to their hometown to start selling sandals on the roadside.
“My family’s life is still very difficult. My son is sick and cannot walk, but in order to earn money to make ends meet, he has to help his mother sell goods and endure the sun and rain at the market. This time, the allowance has increased, he also receives 1 million VND/month, just enough to pay for monthly medical expenses. As for me, I also received an additional 130,000 VND/month, making it 500,000 VND. Every extra dong is precious, helping us ease our difficulties,” Ms. Gai shared.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Nha in Duy Tan Ward (Kinh Mon) is disabled and has lost an arm, so it is very difficult for her to work to earn a living, mainly depending on relatives and monthly social allowances for people with disabilities. Previously, she received a monthly allowance of 570,000 VND. From August 1, the standard allowance increased, she received 825,000 VND/month. Ms. Nha said that this increase is very valuable because it helps her have more expenses for life. She is an active participant in social work, especially the Association of People with Disabilities, so she needs travel expenses. Currently, the staff of the Association of People with Disabilities do not have any allowances, but because she sympathizes with people with the same fate, she always tries to connect with benefactors and organizations to sponsor funds to give gifts to them.
Efforts for the disadvantaged
Hai Duong currently has nearly 83,700 beneficiaries of monthly allowances in the community and nearly 1,000 beneficiaries being cared for and nurtured at social assistance facilities under the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs. Previously, with the standard social assistance level of 380,000 VND/month, the average social assistance level for social protection beneficiaries in the community in the province was 534,000 VND/person/month; the average monthly nurturing allowance for beneficiaries being cared for and nurtured at social assistance facilities under the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs was 1,533,000 VND/person/month.
Thus, the monthly social assistance regime in the province is still low, only ensuring support for a part of essential needs, not similar to other policies, leading to low effectiveness of social assistance policies, not supporting the essential needs of social protection beneficiaries.
Faced with that reality, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs has proactively coordinated to advise on the issuance of many specific policies of the province to increasingly better care for the lives of all classes of people.
Through assessing the actual living conditions of social protection beneficiaries and the province's budget balance capacity, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs advised the Provincial People's Committee to submit to the Provincial People's Council to issue Resolution No. 07/2024/NQ-HDND dated July 12, 2024, stipulating the standard level of social assistance in the province applied from August 1, 2024 is 550,000 VND/month (50,000 VND higher than the Government's regulations, 170,000 VND higher than the previous standard level of the province). The total budget to implement this policy increased by 263.31 billion VND/year.
With this standard, the average social allowance for social protection beneficiaries in the community in the province is 775,500 VND/person/month, the average nurturing allowance for beneficiaries being nurtured at social assistance facilities under the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs is 2,222,000 VND/person/month.
“This policy aims to help social protection beneficiaries stabilize their lives, have access to more social services, promote their strengths, and help increase family income,” said Mr. Vu Tri Quang, Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Hai Duong.