"Number of Applicants Rising, but No Budget"... Work Assistant System for Solo Severe Disability Entrepreneurs 'Adrift'

Policy Debate Held for System Advancement
Need for Clarifying Eligibility and Support Period
Measures for Enhancing Work Assistant Competence Discussed

There have been urgent calls for securing a budget and clarifying the eligibility criteria in order to vitalize the work assistant system for solo severe disability entrepreneurs.

On the 16th, the "Policy Debate for the Advancement of the Work Support System for Solo Severe Disability Entrepreneurs" is being held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Seohee Lee

On the 16th, the Disabled Entrepreneurs Comprehensive Support Center announced that it held the "Policy Debate for the Advancement of the Work Support System for Solo Severe Disability Entrepreneurs" at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. The debate was co-hosted by Democratic Party members Kim Donga and Seo Mihwa, as well as People Power Party member Kim Yeji, and organized by the Disabled Entrepreneurs Comprehensive Support Center.

The work assistant system is a program that provides personal services such as work support, communication assistance, and business guidance to help solo entrepreneurs with severe disabilities, who operate their businesses without employees, to continue their business activities stably. Although the system was institutionalized when the Act on the Promotion of Activities of Disabled Entrepreneurs was amended in December 2023, led by Representative Kim Yeji, it remains a pilot project supporting up to 40 companies per year due to the lack of government funding. In response, efforts to stabilize the system have been made in various ways, including the introduction of a bill by Representative Kim Donga in January this year to establish a legal basis for budget support.

This policy debate was organized to identify additional legal and institutional improvements for the work assistant system and to discuss advancement measures such as expanding the scope of support and relaxing eligibility requirements. In her opening remarks, Representative Seo stated, "Since January 2023, the work assistant system for people with severe disabilities has established a legal foundation and plays an important role in addressing the blind spots of the existing work support system. However, government support and funding remain insufficient," adding, "We will continue to work toward the settlement and expansion of the system so that it can effectively address the limitations faced by people with disabilities in using the program."

The number of companies applying for the work assistant system for people with severe disabilities has increased every year, from 80 last year to 119 this year, but due to budget shortages, only 40 companies are selected as part of the pilot project. In this context, Lee Dain, Director at the Disabled Entrepreneurs Comprehensive Support Center, and Kim Yongtak, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities, presented advancement measures for the system based on comparisons with similar policies such as activity support and work support. Notably, an actual work assistant participated as a panelist, sharing vivid field experiences and opinions from the perspective of a policy service practitioner.

During the subsequent discussion, Park Maru, Chairman of the Disabled Entrepreneurs Comprehensive Support Center, served as moderator. Participants included Seo Inhwan, Policy Committee Chair of the Korea Disability Organizations Association; Kwon Jaehyun, Deputy Secretary General of the Korea Federation of Organizations of the Disabled; Lee Byungsoo, Secretary General of Saenal Dongdaemun Center for Independent Living for the Disabled; Lee Seungcheol, Team Leader at the Korea Association of Masseurs; and Sun Okyoung, a work assistant, who shared a variety of opinions.

Kim, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities, advised, "Currently, support recipients are selected based on business content and management ability, but in the future, eligibility criteria should be clarified so that those who face difficulties in business management due to disabilities can receive support." He also said, "In addition, to ensure the professionalism of work assistants, both basic and specialized training should be implemented to enhance their competence and expertise, and the grounds for support qualifications must be clearly stipulated."