As prices continue to rise, many low-income families and elderly people face increasing financial pressure. To ease the burden, the Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to adjust six major social welfare subsidies, with the overall amount expected to rise by about 23.5%. The new policy is scheduled to take effect in July 2026, funded by the central government, and about 890,000 vulnerable people are expected to benefit.
The six subsidies include living allowances for low-income households, child living allowances for low-income families, education-related living allowances for low-income students, living allowances for people with disabilities, living allowances for middle-to-low-income seniors, and living support for disadvantaged children and youth.
Among them, the living support for disadvantaged children and youth is a key focus of the adjustment. In the past, subsidy amounts varied across cities and counties, with some levels relatively low. The new plan aims to raise the subsidy to at least NT$5,000 per person per month to reduce the financial burden on families raising children.
In the future, the adjustment mechanism will also better reflect changes in prices. In addition to the existing four-year review cycle, the system will check the Consumer Price Index (CPI) every two years. If the growth rate reaches 3%, the subsidy adjustment mechanism will be triggered. After the revision, the annual budget is estimated at NT$33.56 billion.
