Department of Social Welfare

Goals

1. To ensure economic security of city residents.

2. To design comprehensive social policies that protect social rights of the economically disadvantaged and steer them from poverty.

Services

A. Income Maintenance

DOSW regularly adjusts the poverty line, with which to evaluate city residents’ economic status. Once a household (the unit of receiving assistance) is determined to fall below such line, various forms of living assistance will be in place to maintain the quality of life for the households. The available assistance services are: living assistances for low-income and just above low-income families, plus children/youths/elders/disabled persons living allowances. The amount of assistance is calculated according to an adjustable formula. Natural disaster assistance and emergency assistance are provided to aid families in crisis or emergency situations. In addition, a burial assistance will be provided to low-income households and the homeless.

B. Medical Assistance

Various forms of medical assistance are provided to safeguard the wellbeing of low-income people, such as: subsidies for health insurance premiums, childbirths and miscarriages, hospital meals, dentures for elders, and nutritional supplements. Senior citizens over 65 years of age may receive a subsidy for the National Health Insurance premiums. Additional medical assistance is provided to residents just above the low-income benchmark for paying partial expenses for items not covered by the health insurance.

C. Housing

Economically disadvantaged families are eligible for low-income housing placement or rent subsidies. The low-income housing is in place with the purpose of raising living qualities of disadvantaged families. DOSW provides a series of active counseling and guidance for residents of low-income housings, assisting them with social adaptation, and encouraging them to find means to fight poverty.

D. Educational Resources

To protect the right of education, DOSW provides subsidies to low-income children covering transportation fares, exemption of tuition and miscellaneous charges. Tutor's program is provided to improve these children's academic performance. In addition, developmental programs for youth are designed to provide more opportunities for higher education, training, and social participation.

E. Workfare Projects

DOSW develops workfare projects to replace the traditional public assistance model, hoping that good work experiences will improve the status and confidence levels of disadvantaged persons, moving from being welfare dependents to productive members of the society to facilitate self-help and mutual assistance.

F. Temporary Allowance for Nursing Attendants

DOSW provides temporary allowance to assist low-income households, elders over 65 with income just above the poverty line, or families in crises to hire nursing attendants to care for their hospitalized family member when no other family member are available for bedside care.

G. Insurance Premium Subsidies: In coordination with the launch of the National Pension Insurance and National Health Insurance, DOSW will fully subsidize national pension insurance and health insurance fees for low-income households listed on record; and for those whose income do not meet the criteria, they’d be subsidized 55% to 70% of the pension insurance.

H. Emergency rescues and disaster relief: emergency relief assistance will be provided to citizens suffering from fire, windstorms, floods,

earthquakes and other natural disasters in accordance with social relief regulations; emergency relief is also available to citizens whose livelihood suffers due to disasters.

I. List of Various Types of Assistance

1) Economic security

‧ Living assistances for low-income households

‧ Living allowances for elders with income just above the poverty line

‧ Living assistances for disabled persons

‧ Allowances for disabled persons

‧ Burial assistances

2) Medical and Healthcare

‧ Subsidies for low-income household members’ health insurance premiums and partial payment of service

‧ Medical assistance for the low-income

‧ Medical assistance for the people with income just above poverty line

‧ Financial and nutritional Supplement for childbirth

‧ Financial supplement for low-income elders needing dentures

‧ Nutrients coupons

‧ Temporary allowances for nursing attendants to handle care

3) Housing

‧Exemptions of rent for low-income households

‧ Rent subsidies

4) Education

‧ Exemption of child daycare fees

‧ Childcare allowances

‧ Subsidies for school transportation expenses

‧ Living assistance for youths above 18 years of age who are still in school

‧ Exemption of tuition and miscellaneous charges

5) Employment

‧Temporary employment opportunities

‧Free vocational trainings

6) Emergency

‧Emergency assistances

‧“Instantaneous Outreach” emergency relief

7) Disaster

‧Disaster relief assistances

8) National Pension Insurance

‧Insurance subsidies

9)National Health Insurance

‧Insurance subsidies