Starting this year, the disability pension to guarantee income for low-income people with severe disabilities will be paid at up to 439,700 won per month.
The disability pension benefits are divided into a basic benefit and an additional benefit. The basic benefit compensates for income reduced by the loss or decrease of work capacity, and the additional benefit compensates for expenses that arise additionally due to disability, such as assistive devices and caregiving, and is paid differentially by income group.
Of these, the basic benefit was set at 349,700 won, up 7,190 won, reflecting last year's 2.1% inflation rate. With this increase, people with severe disabilities who receive the disability pension will receive up to 439,700 won per month from the January payment date (Jan. 20), which is the sum of the basic benefit of 349,700 won and the additional benefit of 90,000 won (the same as the previous year).
The disability pension will be paid when the recognized income amount is 1.4 million won per month or less for a single-person household with a person with a severe disability aged 18 or older, and 2.24 million won per month or less for a couple household. Compared with the previous year, the selection criteria amounts increased by 20,000 won for single-person households and 32,000 won for couple households.
People with severe disabilities who wish to newly apply for the disability pension can visit any eup, myeon, or dong community center nationwide regardless of the address on their resident registration, or apply online through the Bokjiro website. For detailed inquiries, contact an eup, myeon, or dong community center or the Health and Welfare Counseling Center (☎129).
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Welfare is pursuing a national policy task to expand the eligibility for the disability pension. Until now, the disability pension has been paid to those with disability grades 1 and 2 and to those with overlapping grade 3 disabilities, but the scope will be expanded to include those with single grade 3 disabilities.
In addition to the disability pension provided to people with severe disabilities, the ministry provides a monthly disability allowance of 60,000 won to people aged 18 or older with mild disabilities who are basic livelihood recipients or near-poverty households, and a monthly child disability allowance of up to 220,000 won to children under 18 with severe or mild disabilities who are basic livelihood recipients or near-poverty households.