Welfare outreach for elderly living alone to intensify amid summer heat, heavy rains

The Korea Social Security Information Service said Tuesday it will partner with the National Center for Lonely Elderly on a year-round, field-based welfare outreach campaign starting this month, aimed at reaching elderly people living alone who fall through the cracks of the social safety net.

The agency will distribute digital brochures on its welfare membership service and welfare crisis alert app to 16 regional support agencies and 684 local service providers that make up the National Center for Lonely Elderly's nationwide delivery network.

The welfare membership service offers personalized guidance on welfare benefits a person may be eligible for, based on their income, assets and household circumstances.

The welfare crisis alert app lets users report emergencies — such as illness or financial hardship affecting themselves or a neighbor — via smartphone, and connects them with counseling, emergency assistance and other welfare services.

About 38,000 frontline workers will explain available welfare programs in plain terms to elderly residents and their guardians, and refer households showing signs of crisis to the appropriate support services.

Ko Ji-yong, a former member of K-pop group Sechs Kies who serves as a public relations advisory committee member for the Korea Social Security Information Service, will also lend his support to the effort.

Ko will tie his year-round charitable activities to support for elderly people living alone, while the Korea Social Security Information Service plans to broaden public awareness through external communications to draw engagement from across society.

"Lifestyle support workers are steadfast companions who look after elderly residents up close," said Kim Hyeon-mi, director of the National Center for Lonely Elderly. "We will work closely with service providers nationwide to ensure that elderly people in need are connected to welfare services in a timely manner."

Kim Hyeon-jun, president of the Korea Social Security Information Service, said the agency would strengthen on-site guidance so that no elderly person misses out on welfare benefits due to a lack of information or digital barriers. "We will identify households in crisis early and connect them swiftly to the support they need," he said.