Page 129 - 2023 Taiwan Health and Welfare Report

Social Assistance and Social Work 10

Chapter 1 Social Assistance
We always follow the principle of "providing 10-1 shows the minimum cost of living in each special
care actively, respecting needs, and enabling self- municipality, Taiwan Province in the last five years.
sufficiency" in social assistance business. Various The current subsidies provided by various local
measures are taken, laws and regulations are reviewed governments for low-income households include
at regular intervals, and unemployment benefits family subsidy, school subsidy, and children subsidy.
and the welfare service system of social work are According to Article 12 of the Public Assistance Act,
considered, so as to guarantee that people in need competent authorities should increase the original
can get appropriate assistance. cash amount received by members of low-income
households who are elderly, pregnant for three months
Section 1 Living Support
or longer, or disabled by no more than 40%. In order
Life assistance for low-income households
to avoid providing too much financial assistance,
means providing persistent financial assistance for
which could influence the willingness to work, Article
families whose monthly income per person is below
8 of the Public Assistance Act states that the monthly
the minimum living expenditure and whose properties
assistance amount received by every person according
do not exceed the annual amount announced by
to this law or other laws should not exceed the basic
the central government or competent authorities of
wage declared by the government. The major items of
municipalities. The 2015 amendment to the "Public
life assistance for low-income households handled by
Assistance Act" stipulates that the living assistance for
the government in 2022 are shown in Table 10-2.
low-income families is adjusted every four years based
Besides making cash payments, various local
on the growth in consumer price index (CPI) to protect
governments should provide additional benefits,
the rights and interests of vulnerable people. Table
Minimum Cost of Living of Each Special Municipality, County, and City in the
Table 10-1
Last 5 Years

New Taiwan Dollar
Region New Fujian Province
Taiwan Taipei Kaohsiung Taichung Tainan Taoyuan
Year Taipei Kinmen Lienchiang
2019 12,388 16,580 13,099 14,666 13,813 12,388 14,578 11,135
2020 12,388 17,005 13,099 15,500 14,596 12,388 15,281 11,648
2021 13,288 17,668 13,341 15,600 14,596 13,304 15,281 12,102
2022 14,230 18,682 14,419 15,800 15,472 14,230 15,281 12,792
2023 14,230 19,013 14,419 16,000 15,472 14,230 15,977 13,103
Source: Department of Social Assistance and Social Work, Ministry of Health and Welfare, R.O.C.(Taiwan)

Key Living Support Measures Provided to Low-Income Households, December
Table 10-2
2022

Subsidy Item No. of Subsidies Total Subsidy Amount (NTD)
Family Living Support (including 886,423 5,612,063,928
Child Living Support)
Student Living Support 455,927 2,898,044,070

Workfare Programs 31,228 599,763,513

Holiday Bonus 591,279 705,828,407
Source: Department of Social Assistance and Social Work, Ministry of Health and Welfare, R.O.C.(Taiwan)
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