Lowering the threshold for national pension support in low-income areas to ‘less than 1 million won per month’

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Seo Han-ki = The threshold for national pension premium support for low-income area subscribers is lowered.

Pension authorities have decided to promote a plan to relax the current income standard of less than 800,000 won per month to less than 1 million won per month starting in 2027.

If this plan comes to fruition, it is expected that the pension blind spot for low-income vulnerable groups who have been excluded from support will be further narrowed.

According to the National Pension Service on the 16th, the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's recent audit of government affairs reported the 'major business status' containing these details.

The Pension Service announced that it will push for reflection in the 2027 government budget to raise the income standard for insurance premium support for subscribers in low-income areas from less than 800,000 won to less than 1 million won as a way to improve the subscription system that can be felt by the public.

The system currently in effect is a device designed to reduce the pension blind spot of low-income local subscribers.

From January 2026, the difficult 'resumption of payment' requirement that was previously applied has been abolished.

In the past, 50% of insurance premiums were supported for up to one year only when people who had stopped paying insurance premiums due to unemployment or leave of absence started paying again. However, starting this year, the system was revised so that all subscribers in low-income areas can apply for support as long as they meet the income criteria, regardless of payment history.

However, due to limited financial conditions and limitations in the budget deliberation process at the time of the system reform, the support income standard was decided to be less than 800,000 won per month, and disappointing voices continued to flow from the field.

In particular, issues of equity were raised compared to the monthly pension insurance premium support standard of less than 1.03 million won for farmers and fishermen, and vulnerable groups with monthly incomes between 800,000 won and 1.03 million won were placed in a blind spot where they did not receive support.

In addition, as the insurance premium rate increased from 9% to 9.5% this year due to pension reform, concerns about the economic burden on low-income people who are not eligible for support have increased.

At the time, the Ministry of Health and Welfare explained the characteristics of the system, which provides support for a total of 12 months of life, and explained that it is a sequential support method that allows people to receive benefits in stages according to future changes in income or relaxation of standards.

As the Pension Service officially announced in this National Assembly audit that it will pursue a plan to raise the income standard to less than 1 million won with the goal of reflecting it in the 2027 budget, attention is being paid to whether the so-called excluded class, who earned between 800,000 won and 1 million won per month, will be able to be newly included in the support target.