The government will assist vulnerable groups whose energy voucher support has been suspended by helping them reapply for the program. Households using kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will receive an additional 147,000 won for heating costs.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced these measures on November 10 as part of a winter support plan for vulnerable groups, which was reported at a cabinet meeting.
The energy voucher program supports heating and cooling costs for vulnerable households, including the elderly, infants, and people with disabilities, among those receiving basic living assistance. The program was first introduced in 2015 and covers costs for electricity, city gas, and kerosene.
This year, the number of eligible households has increased from 1.4 million last year to 1.44 million.
The government is introducing a new 'Energy Voucher Retrieval Service' for households that lost their support due to changes in residence or household composition.
Consultants will directly contact households that had their support suspended to confirm their intent to reapply, and a designated official will process the applications. Households that have difficulty visiting administrative welfare centers due to age or disability will also be able to use the vouchers again without a separate visit.
The government plans to implement this service for approximately 25,000 households that had their support suspended by March of next year.
Additionally, a pre-cash support program for heating costs will be established for vulnerable residents in goshiwons and other precarious housing situations. This program targets households that cannot directly use vouchers because energy costs are included in their rent. Priority payments will be made to about 5,300 households that applied in November.
The 'Visiting Energy Welfare Service,' where postal workers and social workers assist with voucher usage, will also be expanded.
Last year, the program visited over 59,000 households that did not fully utilize their vouchers, providing support for approximately 9.9 billion won. This year, the target will be expanded to include households that used less than 50% of their support, with plans to visit up to 122,000 households.
To alleviate the burden of heating costs due to the Middle East conflict and high exchange rates, an additional voucher of 147,000 won will be provided to about 210,000 households using kerosene and LPG. As a result, the average support amount for these households will increase from 367,000 won to 514,000 won.
The additional support will be distributed starting December 9 through the National Happiness Card, consolidating the existing prepaid card issuance method into the National Happiness Card.
Measures to postpone supply interruptions due to unpaid energy bills will also be implemented. The suspension of city gas supply for vulnerable groups, including those receiving basic living assistance, will be postponed from October of this year until May of next year, while restrictions on electricity usage will be lifted from December of this year until February of next year.
Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Seong-hwan stated, "The unusual weather caused by climate change and the rapid rise in energy costs are placing an even heavier and harsher burden on the lives of vulnerable groups facing economic difficulties. We plan to carefully identify welfare blind spots so that everyone can safely get through the winter without feeling excluded and to build a robust energy welfare safety net."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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