The Ministry of Finance is proposing new criteria for state welfare eligibility based on the total earnings of family members, which should not exceed 200,000 baht per year, according to Deputy Finance Minister Santi Promphat.
Mr Santi spoke about the criteria after a meeting yesterday with the Fiscal Policy Office and related agencies, including the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, about preparations for the next round of state welfare registrations, starting next year.
Currently, there are 13.65 million state welfare cardholders. The number of poor people in Thailand is expected to increase to 15 million next year due to the prolonged impact of Covid-19, said Mr Santi.
By next year the government will have the new criteria in place to ensure that cardholders get more benefits, he said. At present, eligible card recipients must be Thai, aged 18 and above.
Their annual income must not exceed 100,000 baht and the criteria also cover ownership of certain assets such as land.
For the new criteria, the annual income of all family members will be taken into account. The total earnings among a family must not surpass 200,000 baht.
For example, if a husband earns an annual income of 150,000 baht but his wife earns just 50,000 baht, she would be eligible for state welfare as the total earnings of the family do not exceed 200,000 baht.
If a husband earns an annual income of 200,000 baht and his wife earns 90,000 baht, the wife will not be eligible for state welfare as the total earnings are over the limit.
But there are exceptions if the family includes children under 18 years old. The number of family members will also be taken into account.
State welfare cardholders are entitled to 200-300 baht a month, plus travel expenses on public buses at 500 baht. In addition, the meeting decided to replace the state welfare card with an ID card for the convenience of cardholders.
The ministry will submit the new criteria for cabinet approval, he added.