[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Bucheon City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 12th that it has been finally selected for the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 'Phase 1 Sickness Allowance Pilot Project' regional competition.
Sickness allowance is a social security system that compensates for income loss to allow workers to focus on treatment when they are unable to engage in economic activities due to illness or injury, regardless of work.
This project is being fully funded by the national government for three years starting this year, ahead of its full-scale introduction in 2025, in response to the rapidly increasing social demand for "resting at home when sick" after COVID-19.
The Phase 1 pilot project is scheduled to be implemented for one year starting this July, and many workers in the Bucheon area are expected to benefit.
Bucheon City plans to cooperate in accumulating empirical evidence and cases to compare and analyze the policy effects according to the scope of diseases, coverage levels, and methods.
Also, for workers employed within the region who meet the requirements, a daily payment of 43,960 KRW (60% of the 2022 minimum wage) will be provided for up to 90 days during the coverage period according to the 'Inability to Work Model I' payment criteria.
Jang Deokcheon, Mayor of Bucheon, stated, "The sickness allowance system is an essential system for guaranteeing workers' right to health in our society, and we have received social security benefits ahead of other local governments. We will do our best to successfully implement the Phase 1 pilot project and help it spread nationwide."
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