Seoul-style Emergency Welfare Provides Living Expenses Support for Jeonse Fraud Victims

Household Living Expenses Increase Along with Median Income Rise

Seoul City will expand the 'Seoul-type Emergency Welfare' support, which provides living expenses and other aid to low-income households in crisis situations, to include victims of jeonse fraud and others.

On the 7th, Seoul City announced that the budget for Seoul-type Emergency Welfare this year has been increased by 2.9 billion KRW from last year to 15.8 billion KRW, and that the scope of support will be significantly expanded.

Started in 2015, Seoul-type Emergency Welfare is a system that provides temporary and rapid support to citizens facing livelihood difficulties due to crises such as the death, illness, unemployment, or business suspension/closure of the main income earner, before other support under laws and ordinances such as the Basic Livelihood Security Act and Seoul-type Basic Security is applied. Support is provided immediately if the household meets the criteria of 100% or less of the median income, assets of 409 million KRW or less, financial assets of 10 million KRW or less, and is determined to be eligible for support by the 'Dong/Gu Case Conference' due to a crisis reason.

First, Seoul City decided to include victims of jeonse fraud in the Seoul-type Emergency Welfare support target, recognizing that they may face difficulties not only in housing but also in livelihood. In addition, if a crime victim has difficulty living as a neighbor in the house or building they reside in and needs to relocate, this will also be designated as a crisis reason.

With the increase in the median income standard, the amount of living support will also be raised. For a single-person household, it increased by 90,000 KRW from 620,000 KRW last year to 710,000 KRW this year. For a four-person household, it rose from 1,620,000 KRW last year to 1,830,000 KRW this year. The number of living support payments is once per year, but an additional payment is possible in principle if there is another crisis situation with a different reason. One additional payment is also provided if the household is at risk of solitary death.

Considering the recent frequent cold waves increasing the heating cost burden on low-income households, the fuel cost support, classified as other support, will be increased from 110,000 KRW last year to 150,000 KRW this year.

Seoul-type Emergency Welfare can be applied for at any time through the local community service center or district office of the resident's jurisdiction. Consultations are available through the Dasan Call Center and welfare counseling centers in each district.

Jung Sang-hoon, Director of Seoul City's Welfare Policy Office, said, "Due to new types of crimes such as jeonse fraud and the sharp rise in prices, the economic burden on citizens is gradually increasing. We will do our best to reduce welfare blind spots and provide more thorough support to citizens in need through the expansion of the Seoul-type Emergency Welfare system this year."