Proposal to provide a VND 600,000 allowance for elderly people without adequate care
It is proposed to expand social allowances for the elderly to include those who have caregivers but lack sufficient financial means or health capacity, with a projected benefit of VND 600,000 starting from 2026.
The Ministry of Health is drafting a decree amending and supplementing several articles of Decree No. 20/2021 on social assistance policies for social protection beneficiaries, which was previously amended and supplemented by Decree No. 76/2024.
Accordingly, the Ministry proposes adding a group of elderly people who have caregivers, but those caregivers lack sufficient financial means or health capacity to fulfill their responsibilities, making them eligible for monthly social allowances. The proposed benefit level is VND 600,000 per month starting from July 1, 2026.
This proposal stems from practical implementation, as many elderly people in poor households, despite having children, still face difficulties because their caregivers are beyond working age, in poor health, or suffering from serious illnesses, and therefore lack stable income.
According to the Ministry of Health, current regulations mainly rely on household registration status without fully considering the actual capacity to provide care, creating a legal gap that prevents some vulnerable groups from accessing social welfare policies.
Previously, this group had received stable support during the implementation of Decree No. 136/2013 from 2013 to 2021. However, after Decree No. 20/2021 took effect, stricter conditions on caregiving led to 32 out of 63 provinces and cities issuing their own policies between June 2021 and June 2025 to provide support.
Therefore, adding the provision “or the caregiver lacks sufficient financial or health capacity to provide care” is considered necessary to align with the principles of the Law on Marriage and Family and to ensure consistency in the national social security system.
In essence, this amendment inherits a group that had previously been supported, so it is not expected to cause a significant increase in the number of beneficiaries nationwide. In fact, 10 out of 34 centrally governed provinces and cities have already introduced their own policies to continue supporting this group during the 2021–2025 period.
Hai Phong News