New proposal aims to extend child subsidy

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New proposal aims to extend child subsidy

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

LOW-INCOME earners will be provided with a monthly child-support subsidy of Bt600 for the child’s first six years if the Social Development and Human Security Ministry’s proposal gets the Cabinet’s approval.
 

Currently, only a child’s first three years are covered by the monthly subsidy. 

 

The proposal also widens the low-income bracket, meaning more people would be able to claim the subsidy. Currently, low-income earners are categorised as those who earn no more than Bt36,000 per year. Under the new plan, that ceiling would be raised to Bt100,000 per year.

 

“We will submit this new plan to the Cabinet soon,” Somkid Somsri said yesterday in his capacity as director-general of the ministry’s Children and Youth Department. He was speaking after the proposal was endorsed in a meeting with representatives of relevant authorities. Also present were Deputy PM Chatchai Sarikulya, Social Development and Human Security Minister Anantaporn Kanjanarat and top officials from the Finance, Public Health and Interior ministries. 

 

“Our plan is designed to help children in cash-strapped families, give them protection and reduce inequalities in society,” Somkid said, adding that once these children were registered for subsidies, they would also have access to other state-provided services.

 

“We believe more than 1.44 million children, born from October 1, 2015 onwards, will benefit from this plan,” Somkid said, adding that if the proposal is approved, payments will begin retroactively from the start of the current fiscal year. 

 

The military-backed government first began paying child-support in 2016 at the rate of Bt400 per child from birth until the age of 1. During the 2016 fiscal year, 90,216 children benefited from the subsidy. 

 

From the 2017 fiscal year, the government increased the subsidy to Bt600 per child, and began covering the first three years after birth. More than 500,000 benefited from this scheme. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30364832

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-02-27

[Samui Bodoh]

"...LOW-INCOME earners will be provided with a monthly child-support subsidy of Bt600 for the child’s first six years if the Social Development and Human Security Ministry’s proposal gets the Cabinet’s approval..."

 

Or, put another way...

 

FFP is surging at the polls, and the Junta wants to try to buy off young voters with taxpayer monies.

 

Support for young children and young parents is a good thing; a blatant, revocable(!!!) payoff outlined during an election campaign is not. If the government wants to assist young parents and children they should do so at the proper time and place, and have universal access to the monies so that it isn't pure electioneering and targeted vote-buying.

 

 

[madmitch]

It is just so wrong that the Cabinet could approve such changes in the run-up to an election. 

How many other pre-election populist policies can we expect? 

[Ulic]

15 hours ago, madmitch said:

It is just so wrong that the Cabinet could approve such changes in the run-up to an election. 

How many other pre-election populist policies can we expect? 

I respectfully disagree. Around the world, governments pass budgets that benefit the people groups of people. Usually in a pre-election budget that will be passed post-election. This particular change would help people that are in need and is unlikely to be a vehicle of corruption like the rice scheme was. There is nothing wrong with trying to help farmers or other segments of the population that need help. The problem in Thailand is, will it help the people that you are targeting, that need help versus line the pockets of corrupt officials, and is the program financially affordable for the government.