Democratic lawmaker introduces bill to close gaps in basic livelihood benefit system

Rep. So Byeong-hun of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee representing Gwangju-gap in Gyeonggi Province, announced Tuesday that he had introduced a bill to amend the National Basic Living Security Act, aimed at better reflecting the actual financial circumstances of support-obligated family members when determining eligibility for livelihood benefits and at strengthening the social safety net for households with severely disabled members.

Under the current system, a recipient can be disqualified from livelihood benefits if a family member designated as a support obligator earns more than 130 million won ($94,000) annually or holds assets exceeding 1.2 billion won. Critics have long argued, however, that because the thresholds are based on nominal figures alone, households carrying heavy debt — taken on for housing or children's tuition — are effectively shut out of the welfare system despite facing genuine financial hardship.

The problem is particularly acute for people with severe disabilities, who typically have limited earning capacity and face high fixed medical costs. When a support obligator's income or assets exceed the ceiling by even a small margin, benefits are cut off immediately, leaving the recipient in an instant livelihood crisis.

The proposed amendment would allow essential debt — including mortgages and student loans taken out for housing stability and children's education — to be deducted when calculating a support obligator's income and assets, so that the obligator's real financial situation is more accurately reflected. The bill also introduces a special provision for severely disabled livelihood-benefit recipients, under which a recipient would retain eligibility as long as their own recognized income falls below the threshold, even if the support obligator's income or assets exceed the standard limit.

However, the bill provides for a graduated reduction in livelihood benefits based on the degree to which the obligator's figures exceed the threshold and on the recipient's own work capacity, a mechanism designed to ensure both the effectiveness and fairness of the system.

"The relaxed support-obligator standard was meant to close welfare blind spots, but it still leaves vulnerable people behind because it fails to account for real-world debt burdens and household circumstances," So said. "Through this amendment, I intend to tighten the minimum-living safety net the law is supposed to guarantee and provide stronger protection for those who are genuinely vulnerable."