Additional Family Care Cost Applications from the 28th... Dual-Income Couples Up to 1.5 Million Won

Additional 250,000 KRW Support for SME Workers... 500,000 KRW for Single Parents
Paid for Child and Family Care Related to COVID-19... Excludes Large and Public Enterprises
Usable Until Year-End... Must Apply Within 2 Months After Use

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The government will provide an additional five days' worth of family care expenses (250,000 KRW) to workers at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). For dual-income couples, the maximum support amount will increase from the existing 1 million KRW to 1.5 million KRW.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on the 24th that it will provide additional support for five days of family care expenses to reduce the economic burden on workers who took family care leave due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). This follows the confirmation of 56.3 billion KRW in the 4th supplementary budget for additional family care expense support.

With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the need for child care has increased, but dual-income couples and others had mostly used their annual leave and family care leave, raising concerns about care gaps.

Accordingly, the government amended and implemented the Act on Gender Equality in Employment and Work-Family Balance Support to allow the extension of family care leave up to 10 days (15 days for single-parent workers) in disaster situations like COVID-19. Family care leave related to COVID-19 can now be used for up to 20 days annually (25 days for single parents).

Support for family care leave expenses will also be expanded. In addition to the existing support of 50,000 KRW per day for up to 10 days per worker, an additional support of up to five days will be provided to workers belonging to priority support enterprises (SMEs) who use the extended leave. Single-parent workers will receive an additional 10 days' worth of support.

With this measure, family care expenses support for workers at priority support enterprises will increase from a maximum of 500,000 KRW to 750,000 KRW per person, and for dual-income couples, from a combined maximum of 1 million KRW to 1.5 million KRW. However, workers at large enterprises and public institutions are excluded from the additional expense support and will receive the same support as before.

Additional support applies only when ▲ children aged 8 or younger or in the second grade of elementary school require family care due to daycare closures, online classes, or school closures, or ▲ family members are classified as COVID-19 patients or suspected cases requiring emergency care.

Family care expenses can be applied for on the Ministry of Employment and Labor's website. Applications must be submitted within two months from the date of family care leave usage. Workers wishing to apply for the additional support can do so starting from the 28th. Applications for the existing maximum 10 days of family care expenses are still accepted. As of the 22nd, a total of 122,516 workers have received emergency support for family care expenses.

Asia Economy DB=Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Below is a Q&A with the Ministry of Employment and Labor regarding family care leave and expense support.

- Can all workers apply for expense support for the extended family care leave?

▲ The additional support for extended family care leave applies only to workers belonging to priority support enterprises. Workers at large enterprises or public institutions are not eligible for additional family care expense support but can use the extended 10 days of leave.

- From when can the extended family care leave be used?

▲ It can be used from September 9, the date of the Ministry of Employment and Labor's official notice, until the expiration date of the notice on December 31.

- Until when must applications for expense support for the extended family care leave be submitted?

▲ Applications must be submitted within two months from the date of leave usage.

- Where can applications for expense support after using the extended family care leave be submitted?

▲ Applications can be submitted through the Ministry of Employment and Labor's website starting September 28.

- If a worker used 15 days of family care leave before the official notice (September 9) but did not receive support for five days, can they apply for the extended care expense support for those five days?

▲ The extended family care leave can only be used after the official notice date. Family care leave used before the notice cannot be considered extended family care leave and is therefore not eligible for extended family care expense support.

- Are workers at large enterprises or public institutions excluded from all family care leave expense support?

▲ Workers at large enterprises or public institutions can use the extended 10 days (15 days for single parents) of family care leave. However, they are not eligible for expense support for the extended family care leave. They can still receive expense support for the existing 10 days.