[2022 National Audit] Activity Support Services for 'Baldal Janghaein' and 'Janghaein' Overlapping and Deducted Despite Different Purposes and Contents

If Using Weekly Activity Service, Up to 56 Hours Deducted from Activity Support
Lowest Income Developmentally Disabled Left with Less Than 1 Hour per Day After Deduction
Users of Both Services Average Monthly Activity Support Hours Drop from 104 to 69
Assemblywoman Choi Hye-young: "Measures Needed to Allow Flexible Service Use According to Individual Characteristics"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] It has been revealed that when using the daytime activity service for people with developmental disabilities, the time for the disability activity support service is deducted, leaving some people with developmental disabilities with less than one hour of support time per day.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to Choi Hye-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Health and Welfare Committee, Special Budget Committee), people with disabilities who use both services have an average deduction of 35 hours of activity support service, reducing their monthly hours from 104.4 to 69.4.

The daytime activity service for people with developmental disabilities deducts 22 hours per month for the basic type and 56 hours per month for the extended type from the activity support service time.

In particular, the amount of activity support service provided to people with developmental disabilities is significantly less compared to other types of disabilities. For example, a person with developmental disabilities in the 15th bracket receiving 60 hours per month can only receive 4 hours per month after deduction, which is effectively a 'service deprivation.'

Among users of the basic type of daytime activity service, 35%, and among users of the extended type, 21% use both services, and among them, 1,629 people with developmental disabilities have had their activity support service reduced.

Regarding this, there are criticisms that the deduction only applies to the daytime activity service, even though the disability activity support service and the daytime activity service for people with developmental disabilities have different purposes, contents, and legal grounds, and that other services such as developmental rehabilitation services or after-school activity services do not have time deductions.

While the activity support service is a service supporting daily and social life, the daytime activity service is a program that allows adult people with developmental disabilities to participate in community activities reflecting their own needs during daytime hours.

According to a Ministry of Health and Welfare report, the deduction of activity support service time is a major factor discouraging entry into the daytime activity service, and 80% of workers and 73% of users confirmed the need to separate the two services.

Meanwhile, according to a report by the Korea Disabled People's Development Institute, the average satisfaction score for the daytime activity service was 90.74 points, and 89.8% of people with developmental disabilities and their families responded that it had a positive impact. However, only 5% were able to use the daytime activity service.

Assembly member Choi Hye-young pointed out, "There is a severe shortage of services that guarantee meaningful daytime hours for adults with developmental disabilities. Creating the daytime activity service but deducting time from other services is no different from telling them not to use it. It is truly a pie in the sky."

She continued, "The daytime activity service is a policy established by the Moon Jae-in administration for the state and local communities to embrace people with developmental disabilities and their families. As deinstitutionalization projects begin in earnest, its role and importance will increase. Therefore, from now on, we must prepare ways for the users to freely use the service according to their needs and characteristics without anxiety about service reduction."