On August 22, in Taiyuan, China, the Shanxi Provincial Publicity Department and the Provincial Government’s News Office hosted a press conference under the theme “Promoting High-Quality Development and Deepening Comprehensive Transformation.” During the event, Zeng Qingyong, the Deputy Director of the Shanxi Provincial Civil Affairs Department, shared the province’s new initiatives and achievements in strengthening dynamic monitoring of low-income populations and enhancing tiered and classified social assistance.
To reform the social assistance system, Shanxi Province has collaborated with 14 different departments and units to develop a comprehensive implementation plan titled “Strengthening Dynamic Monitoring of Low-Income Populations and Enhancing Tiered and Classified Social Assistance.” The goal is to refine the social assistance framework to ensure that those in need receive timely and effective support.
The plan aims to strengthen and enhance the social assistance system in three significant ways. First, it seeks to bolster dynamic monitoring by integrating both application-based and proactive identification methods. This approach will ensure low-income individuals are included in the monitoring system, facilitating open channels for reporting, and leveraging big data alongside on-the-ground investigations to swiftly identify and assist those in need.
Secondly, the plan clarifies the principle of tiered and classified assistance, categorizing low-income populations based on the severity of their difficulties. This includes identifying recipients of basic living allowances and those with extreme hardships, while also categorizing assistance policies into three main types: basic living support, special assistance, and emergency aid, thereby providing tailored support.
Moreover, it emphasizes maximizing assistance efforts through the coordinated functions of various departments to establish a comprehensive support network that ensures timely help for the vulnerable. Once individuals are identified as low-income by the civil affairs department, a closed-loop mechanism will be implemented, creating a rescue chain to prevent any oversight or duplication in aid efforts, assuring efficient resource allocation.
In terms of specific support measures, Shanxi’s initiatives encompass six major areas: basic living assistance, special social assistance, emergency social aid, service-oriented social assistance, charitable support, and other forms of assistance. The process has been streamlined into a “single application and classified review and identification” model, ensuring that assistance is both precise and efficient. Currently, around 1.32 million people in the province are included in the dynamic monitoring of low-income populations.
Zeng Qingyong stated that moving forward, Shanxi will intensify its efforts to promote social assistance policies and ensure effective implementation. By harnessing the combined advantages of “big data comparison and field assessments,” the province will promptly identify needs, accurately determine those eligible for assistance, and strive to leave no one behind in providing essential support for basic livelihoods.
