Gwangju Seo-gu, Rights Protection for 52 People in 'Disabled Welfare Services'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Shin Dong-ho] Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Seo Dae-seok) announced on the 3rd that it has actively taken steps to protect the rights to welfare services for people with disabilities who have not been able to receive various services and benefits despite their disabilities.

Seo-gu conducted a survey to identify candidates eligible for disability welfare service rights protection among 13,764 registered disabled persons in the area, discovering 52 individuals who met the qualification criteria for support benefits and provided them with a total of 50.64 million KRW.

The survey covered a total of 15 service areas, including issuing medical certificates and supporting examination fees for low-income disabled persons, cochlear implant surgery support for hearing-impaired individuals, medical expenses for the disabled, and childbirth cost support for women with disabilities.

As a result of proactive outreach by the Seo-gu Office’s responsible departments and welfare officers at 18 local administrative welfare centers, many disabled individuals were able to receive support across various service fields.

Among them, 20 people were identified before the expiration of highway toll discount benefits, allowing them to continue receiving these benefits.

Due to changes in guidelines related to issuing medical certificates and supporting examination fees for low-income disabled persons, from this year, the eligibility and criteria have been relaxed, enabling newly registered beneficiaries applying for disability certification to receive support for medical certificate issuance and examination fees.

A Seo-gu official stated, “Many disabled individuals were unaware of changes or expansions in the system, resulting in missed benefits. We plan to actively provide guidance on related systems and services to help disabled persons claim their rightful benefits and access various services.”