The Interior Ministry is set to submit information for an additional 1.1 million low-income earners who registered for the state's welfare and subsidy scheme to the Finance Ministry by the end of this month.
The Finance Ministry is expected to cross-check the information with related state agencies to verify whether the registrants qualify for state aid, said Narin Kalayanamit, deputy permanent secretary for finance.
Those who meet the criteria will be given welfare smartcards by September.
The government opened the new round of registration from May to June to allow additional low-income earners, particularly the disabled, elderly and bedridden patients, to register for the state subsidies. According to a recent Interior Ministry survey, 91,000 disabled, 21,000 bedridden patients and 680,000 low-income earners had not sign up for the government's welfare and subsidy scheme.
The Finance Ministry's criteria for aid requires applicants to be unemployed or have an annual income of 100,000 baht or less last year. They must also have savings, bonds or savings certificates worth less than 100,000 baht. If applicants own property, the area must not exceed 35 square metres for a condo unit, 25 square wah for a townhouse or 10 rai for agricultural purposes.
In August 2017, the cabinet approved the first phase of the aid package, worth 41.9 billion baht, for 11.4 million low-income earners -- 5.3 million of whom have income below the poverty line of 30,000 baht a year.
Under the scheme, the government transfers 200-300 baht a month to each welfare smart card. Recipients earning less than 30,000 baht a year get a monthly allowance of 300 baht, while those with annual earnings of 30,000-100,000 baht receive 200 baht to buy staple goods at Thong Fah Pracha Rat shops and other designated stores. The government provides an additional living allowance of 100-200 baht a month to those who participate in job training courses.
Each cardholder also receives a transport subsidy of 1,500 baht per month for inter-provincial public buses, third-class trains, local public buses and electric trains.
Of the 11.4 million recipients for the state subsidy scheme, only 11.1 million have showed up to get the welfare smart cards, said Mr Narin, adding that the government has already spend 31 billion baht on living allowances, transport fares and discounts for cooking gas.
For the government's career development scheme to welfare smart cardholders, 4.1 million had signed up for skills training -- 2.2 million were farmers and 1.9 million were non-farmers.
Helping those who are on the bottom rung of the income ladder has been touted as a government priority this year to broaden the economic recovery and narrow economic inequality. The Finance Ministry is planning to pay back value-added tax to the welfare smart cardholders.
