Welfare minister pledges to pay child allowance to non-abusing guardian in abuse cases
In short
Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong (정은경) said on October 8 that she would create a legal basis so that child allowance for high-risk children who suffer abuse can be paid to a guardian other than the abuser. She made the pledge at a National Assembly audit after Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Baek Sun-hee (백선희) said cash support was rising without safeguards or a system to recover money that leaks out.
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Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong (정은경) said on October 8 that she would create a legal basis so that child allowance for high-risk children who suffer abuse can be paid to a guardian other than the abuser. She spoke at the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's parliamentary audit in Seoul, in reply to Baek Sun-hee (백선희) of the Rebuilding Korea Party. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Baek said the government had announced it would integrate child allowance and sharply increase support, but that cash alone could hardly serve as a certificate that the state had fulfilled its responsibility. She said cash support was increasing without safeguards, leaving no system to recover money that leaks out. According to Yonhap, she said the government should strengthen monitoring of leaks, such as payments to abusers or money spent on parents' entertainment, rather than focusing only on raising the allowance. Newsis quoted her as saying the children had been obscured by the figure of up to 20 million won. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Jeong said she agreed that cash support and finding and supporting children in crisis must go together to keep children safe. Yonhap quoted her as saying that, as cash support increases from next year with the reform of the parental benefit and child allowance, it is important to manage it so that it is not used for other purposes. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Replying to the point that the government recovers only 64.9% of allowances paid in error to recipients who did not meet the requirements, Jeong said she would consult the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, other relevant ministries and local governments on making recovery more efficient. Newsis quoted her as saying staff were needed and that she understood local governments were setting up organisations to collect arrears. [ 1 , 2 ]
People Power Party lawmaker Lee Dal-hee (이달희) criticised the government's plan to move the budget for cash childbirth and childcare support, including child allowance, from the general account to a new Future Response Fund from next year and to expand it sharply, saying it would worsen fiscal soundness and weaken local fiscal autonomy. Jeong said parliament would review and decide the matter while deliberating the law, and that the support would continue regardless of the fund's stability because it is carried out under law, Yonhap reported. [ 1 ]
At the same audit, Democratic Party lawmaker Jeon Jin-sook (전진숙) raised concerns about the regional doctor system (지역의사제), which takes its first students next year, saying it was unclear who would design its community-based curriculum. Jeong said the association overseeing medical school education, 한국의과대학·의학전문대학원협회, was conducting research, that the curriculum would be decided by November if possible, and that about eight regional centres to be set up next year were reviewing practice networks. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
Jeong said cash support will increase from next year with the reform of the parental benefit and child allowance, which she said makes it important that the money is not used for other purposes. Yonhap reported that only 64.9% of wrongly paid allowances are recovered, and the minister said she would consult other ministries and local governments on making recovery more efficient.
Key facts
- Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong said on October 8 she would create a legal basis so that child allowance for high-risk children who suffer abuse can be paid to a guardian other than the abuser. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- She spoke at the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's parliamentary audit, replying to Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Baek Sun-hee. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Baek said cash support was increasing without safeguards and that there was no system to recover money that leaks out. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Jeong replied to the point that the government recovers only 64.9% of allowances paid in error to recipients who did not meet the requirements. [ 1 ]
- Jeong said she would consult the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, other relevant ministries and local governments on making recovery more efficient. [ 1 , 2 ]
- People Power Party lawmaker Lee Dal-hee (이달희) criticised the plan to move cash childbirth and childcare support from the general account to a new Future Response Fund from next year. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Jeong said she would create a legal basis so that child allowance for high-risk abused children can be paid to a guardian other than the abuser. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The pledge was made on October 8 at the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's audit in reply to lawmaker Baek Sun-hee. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Jeong said she would consult the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and local governments on more efficient recovery of payments. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Only 64.9% of allowances paid in error to recipients who did not meet the requirements are recovered by the government. [ 1 ]
- Jeong said the curriculum for the regional doctor system would be decided by November if possible. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- When the legal basis will be created and how the other guardian would be chosen. The reports give no timetable or details beyond the minister's pledge.
- The 64.9% recovery rate for wrongly paid allowances. Reported only by Yonhap, which does not say who raised the figure or what period it covers.
- Whether cash childbirth and childcare support will move to the new Future Response Fund. Jeong said parliament would review and decide this while deliberating the law.