The number of Taiwanese eligible for public assistance will more than triple to 852,000 if the government raises the poverty line from 2011, according to the Ministry of the Interior Nov. 3.
Currently, 264,000 Taiwanese are considered to earn below the poverty line, which is set as low as NT$9,829 (US$325) per month in some parts of the country. This number is set to soar if the government lifts the threshold as high as NT$18,755.
At present, a household is eligible for public assistance if its total income divided by the number of members is lower than the minimum cost of living, which varies from region to region.
The minimum cost of living is currently set at 60 percent of annual personal consumption expenditures in a particular region for the previous year.
Under a revision to the Public Assistance Act proposed by the MOI, which passed first reading in the Legislature Nov. 3, this definition will change to 60 percent of median monthly disposable income per capita.
In a news release, MOI Minister Jiang Yi-huah welcomed the progress of the bill and said it highlights the government’s determination to help Taiwan’s economically disadvantaged people.
According to the amendment, public assistance is to be extended to include lower-middle-income households, which live on less than 1.5 times the redefined minimum cost of living. The government will also cover half of the National Health Insurance premium for this group. (THN-JSM)