A doctor measures the blood pressure of an elderly woman at the Centre for Social Protection of Hai Duong province (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairswill propose that the Government reduce the eligible age for social welfarebenefits from 80 to 75, said Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs DaoNgoc Dung.
He was speaking at a meeting reviewing the State’s responsibility in theimplementation of social policies for senior citizens and people withdisabilities held on August 6.
Vietnam has over 11 million senior citizens and 6.5 million people withdisabilities. About 7.2 elderly people live in the country.
The majority of these people face difficulties and have limited access tosocial services.
“The current level of social assistance for the elderly and people withdisabilities is low, equal to 30 percent of the urban poverty line and 40 percentof the rural poverty line. Rehabilitation work, especially psychological, isstill very poor,” he said.
It was very difficult for them to access information and they faced problems intransportation, Dung said.
The most obvious example was that not many lanes had been dedicated to supportpeople with disabilities while building public facilities.
As about 40 percent of elderly Vietnamese citizens continued to work afterretirement, it was essential for the country to develop solutions to cope withan ageing population including policies which create favourable conditions forold people to work, Dung said.
According to forecasts by the United Nations, the proportion of Vietnam'spopulation over 65 will be around 12.9 percent by 2030 and 23 percent by 2050.
In response to a question from Dang Thuan Phong, deputy chairman of theNational Assembly’s Committee on Social Affairs, on whether people with autismwere regarded as disabled or not, Dung said it was true, adding that the issuehas been stipulated in a ministry circular issued earlier this year.
He said that the numbers of people with autism and with mental disorders wereon the rise in many localities.
“In some localities, due to a lack of space, drug addicts receive care in thesame place as people with mental disorders. After inspection, the ministrydemanded that they be cared for separately.”
Participants at the meeting blamed the shortcomings in the implementation ofthe legal framework on social allowance to the elderly and people withdisabilities on the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and localauthorities who failed to perform their assigned tasks.
They suggested the NA and relevant agencies complete legal documents on theelderly and disabled people to meet the demand of an ageing population and theincrease in the number of people with disabilities.
It was necessary for the Government to set a social allowance rate inaccordance with the poverty line, the participants said.
Dung said currently, the policy on the elderly and people with disabilities hadbeen adequate and comprehensive, but enforcement was still weak at the grass-rootslevel.
Many people still consider disabled people a burden and inadequate attentionhad been paid to these people.
Dung said the ministry would adjust some policies for the elderly and dividepeople with disabilities into groups in line with each level to have anappropriate approach. - VNS/VNA
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