Why Does Gangdong-gu Conduct Weekly Regular Visits to Welfare Recipients?

Operation of Intensive Discovery Period for Welfare Blind Spots: Proactive Management and Support for At-Risk Households

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) is strengthening regular visits to welfare recipients in preparation for the peak summer heat.

This is to proactively identify vulnerable households facing economic difficulties due to prolonged COVID-19 and job shortages, and to prevent the occurrence of welfare blind spots.

First, employees of the local community centers, welfare planners, and care managers form two-person teams to visit households according to the welfare recipient monitoring plan and check on their well-being.

In particular, the heads of each neighborhood, who serve as the first "Our Neighborhood Officers," patrol various areas and conduct regular visits at least once a week to households requiring prevention of solitary deaths.

Additionally, to ensure no neighbors are left isolated, checks through resident networks such as welfare account holders, Our Neighborhood Care Groups, and Neighbor Watchers will be conducted at least twice a week. All inspections are carried out safely in strict compliance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines.

From July through September, a two-month period has been designated as the "Summer Welfare Blind Spot Intensive Discovery Period" to identify welfare-vulnerable groups who need help but are not receiving support, aiming to establish a thorough social safety net.

During this period, the district will utilize the "Resident Welfare Community," composed of welfare planners, care managers, visiting nurses, welfare account holders, honorary social welfare officers, and members of the local social security council, to make every effort to discover neighbors in need. At the same time, investigations will be conducted on housing-vulnerable households and those delinquent in utility and management fees to actively identify at-risk households.

For identified individuals, welfare consultations will be provided to review public support such as customized basic livelihood security and emergency support projects. Households that do not meet support criteria but face complex difficulties will be selected as integrated case management targets to receive tailored integrated services or be connected to the Care SOS Center and receive maximum support from private services.

Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, stated, "We will continue to systematize regular field inspections to eliminate welfare blind spots and do our best to build a strong social safety net."