470,000 Livelihood Benefits Paid Retroactively Over Five Years... "Must Reduce Gaps in Support"

263.6 Billion Won in Retroactive Benefit Payments Since 2021

52,052 Cases Recorded Through June This Year

There have been more than 470,000 cases over the past five years or so in which benefits owed to basic livelihood security recipients were paid late.

More than 50,000 cases were paid retroactively through June this year, prompting calls to improve payment procedures so recipients can receive their benefits on time.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to Assemblyman Baek Jongheon (People Power Party, Geumjeong District, Busan), a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, a total of 475,924 basic livelihood security benefit payments were made retroactively from 2021 through June 2026. The total amount was 263.596 billion won.

The number of retroactive payments fell from 99,483 in 2021 to 79,512 in 2022, but remained around 80,000 a year, reaching 83,376 in 2023, 77,187 in 2024 and 84,314 in 2025. Last year, the number of cases rose 9.2% from the previous year, while the amount paid increased 9.9%.

In the first half of this year alone, 52,052 payments totaling 31.797 billion won were made. That was 61.7% of last year’s total number of cases and 65.6% of last year’s total amount. The average amount per retroactive payment also rose from about 510,000 won in 2021 to about 575,000 won in 2025, and reached about 611,000 won in the first half of this year.

The number of people receiving benefits is also rising rapidly. The number of basic livelihood security recipients increased 26%, from 2,359,672 in 2021 to 2,972,112 in August this year. With the figure nearing 3 million, there are calls to improve the accuracy and timeliness of benefit payments.

However, not all retroactive payments result from delays in administrative processing. The Ministry of Health and Welfare explained that basic livelihood security benefits are calculated based on factors such as recognized income, and that retroactive payments may occur when benefits are paid based on the application date after eligibility is determined or when the number of household members or recognized income changes.

The concern is that delays that could be reduced during administrative processes, such as lags in incorporating data or recalculating recognized income, should not continue to recur. When benefits are paid late, recipients who need money for immediate living expenses must cope with a gap in their livelihood until payment arrives.

Assemblyman Baek Jongheon said, "Basic livelihood security benefits are a safety net that supports the livelihoods of our neighbors in need," adding, "For recipients who urgently need support day by day, late benefit payments mean a gap in their livelihood."

He also stressed, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare must closely analyze the causes of retroactive payments and develop measures to ensure recipients receive the benefits they are owed on time."

Baek Jongheon, a People Power Party lawmaker.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.