Dramatic Reduction in Processing Time from Application to Decision
In the First Year of Implementation in 2024, Rapid Support Provided to 36 Households in Urgent Need Due to Illness, Disability, or Unemployment
#Choi, an 84-year-old resident of Pungnap-dong, suffered a sudden fall on an icy road in January. Due to limited mobility, urgent admission to a nursing hospital was necessary, but a lack of information about the system and the fact that his children were living abroad meant he could not receive support. Upon learning of this, the local community center immediately requested a rapid assessment from the Welfare Support Division. The district government determined eligibility for livelihood, medical, and housing benefits through the assessment and provided one-stop support, including case management and admission to a care facility. Currently, Mr. Choi is residing in a local nursing home, receiving facility benefits, and enjoying a comfortable retirement.
Songpa-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Seo Gangseok) announced that it will continue to operate the "Rapid Processing and Decision-Making for Crisis Households" program this year, which was first introduced last year to provide timely support to low-income residents in crisis.
Songpa-gu, which has the largest population among Seoul's districts, often experienced delays in support for urgent crisis households when beneficiaries were assessed in the order of application. To address this, the district designed the program to dramatically shorten the processing period from application to decision, enabling more timely assistance.
Typically, applications for the Basic Livelihood Security Program take an average of 35 days due to the need to verify various public records across institutions. In contrast, the district's own "rapid processing" system reduces this period by 12 days, completing all benefit decisions in an average of 23 days.
In fact, last year the district provided rapid support to 36 crisis households who faced immediate livelihood difficulties due to illness, disability, or unemployment. In addition to providing livelihood, medical, and housing benefits tailored to each situation, households deemed ineligible were connected to other support programs for assistance.
The process involves local community centers identifying individuals in crisis and requesting a rapid assessment from the district. The Welfare Support Division then quickly and accurately reviews eligibility based on income and assets, ensuring support is provided without unnecessary delays.
Eligible recipients include applicants for basic livelihood or basic medical benefits who have no mandatory supporters or for whom it is difficult to apply the criteria, such as: ▲ single-person households, ▲ those registered under special calculation rules for cancer or rare and intractable diseases, and ▲ households confirmed to be in urgent need of protection.
To apply for social security benefits, including the "Rapid Processing and Decision-Making for Crisis Households" program, residents can consult or apply through the welfare team at their local community center. For more detailed information, contact the Songpa-gu Welfare Support Division.
Seo Gangseok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, "For residents facing crisis situations, prompt administrative support is of utmost importance," adding, "We will take the lead in minimizing welfare gaps by providing personalized support to ensure that no resident is left behind."
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