Emergency Heating Cost Support for Vulnerable Groups Including Elderly-Headed Households
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] “This winter, due to unprecedented cold waves and heating cost increases, I am worried that the lives of vulnerable groups and other residents will become more difficult and their health may deteriorate.”
Park Wan-su, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, said this at an emergency meeting held on the 27th.
At the meeting, Gyeongnam Province announced emergency heating cost support measures for vulnerable groups and residents struggling with consecutive cold waves and soaring heating costs.
According to the province, with this support, the amount provided to 14,000 elderly-headed households such as elderly living alone, elderly couples, and grandparent-grandchild families will increase from the existing annual 60,000 KRW to 100,000 KRW.
An additional 50,000 KRW will be provided to 70,000 households eligible for the government’s energy voucher support program, including low-income households, basic livelihood security recipients, elderly, disabled, and single-parent families.
With the provincial subsidy added to the government’s energy voucher, which previously supported from 278,000 KRW to 677,000 KRW per household, the support will increase to between 328,000 KRW and 727,000 KRW.
The province plans to invest 1.4 billion KRW and 3.5 billion KRW respectively by utilizing the provincial disaster relief fund.
Gyeongnam Province Governor Park Wansu is leading the meeting. [Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government]
The cold-related illness emergency room surveillance system will be thoroughly operated, and if cold-related patients occur within the province, information will be shared among 51 medical institutions, focusing on preventing winter diseases.
Senior centers in cities and counties will be operated as cold wave shelters, and the elderly customized care service targeting 47,000 elderly people who live alone or have decreased physical functions and require care will be strengthened.
For households in crisis that are blind spots in welfare, heating costs will be quickly supported through the emergency welfare support system.
Governor Park said, “We will take more meticulous care focusing on vulnerable groups and the field to ensure that no welfare blind spots arise during the cold wave, and provide support that is thorough and substantial.”
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