The government provides KRW 592,000 for heating costs this winter to all recipients of basic livelihood security and the next-income class to further relieve the burden of the vulnerable class suffering from 'heating cost bomb'.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced today (the 1st) the 'Additional support measures for heating costs to protect the vulnerable during the winter season'.
As for the support measures announced today, it has been pointed out that there are many non-recipients of energy vouchers among all basic livelihood recipients (recipients of livelihood, medical, housing, and education benefits), and that the heating cost support for the next upper class, which can be called the potential poor, is insufficient. It's an extra.
The second upper class refers to households with a slightly better financial situation than the basic livelihood security recipients, and households with a standard median income of 50% or less (2,700,482 won based on a 4-person household in 2023).
As of last year, 1,699,000 households received basic livelihood benefits and 319,000 households in the second-upper class.
Considering that out of a total of 2,018,000 households, households using city gas account for 83.6% of the total, it is estimated that up to 1,687,000 households will benefit from discounts on heating costs.
Additional support for heating costs is provided through gas bill discounts for a period of 4 months during the winter season from December of last year to March of this year.
For those in the next upper class who do not receive energy vouchers, an additional 448,000 won in gas fees is discounted in addition to the 144,000 won supported by the existing gas rate discount.
Among basic livelihood security recipients who do not receive energy vouchers, livelihood and medical benefit recipients receive an additional 304,000 won in addition to the 288,000 won that they received through the existing gas rate discount.
In addition, residential-type recipients receive support by adding 448,000 won to the existing 144,000 won, and education-type recipients receive an additional discount of 520,000 won on top of the existing 72,000 won.
The total amount of support is 592,000 won.
Previously, on the 26th of last month, the government announced measures to double the amount of energy voucher support and gas fee discounts for the vulnerable.
Regarding energy voucher support, this winter, the amount of support temporarily increased from 152,000 won to 304,000 won for 1,176,000 vulnerable households such as households receiving basic livelihood security, elderly people with diseases, etc. decided to double the price.
KOGAS also decided to expand the range of gas fee discounts for 1.6 million households subject to social consideration to 18,000 won to 72,000 won, a doubling from the current 9,000 won to 36,000 won this winter only. .
In addition, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy emphasized that it will make various efforts to solve the problem of energy voucher support and gas fee discount support recipients not being able to apply for support because they do not know the qualifications, procedures, and methods.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will first encourage local governments and Korea Energy Corporation to apply through text messages, mail, and phone calls to unapplied beneficiaries, and to cooperate with the Ministry of Public Administration and Security to encourage applications at regular neighborhood meetings.
In addition, we plan to distribute promotional materials for rate discounts to visiting households through meter readers of local city gas companies, and use the media and social network services (SNS) to inform information on the rate discount system and how to apply.
In particular, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to improve the social security information system in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare so that energy voucher applications can be made simultaneously when applying for basic livelihood security recipients in order to fundamentally solve the problem of missing energy voucher applications.
Currently, the government and the National Assembly are reviewing a plan to support heating costs not only for the vulnerable but also for the middle class.
President Yoon Seok-yeol instructed his senior secretaries to actively consider ways to reduce the burden of heating costs on the middle and common people at a meeting on the 30th of last month.