One-time relief offered to those in need during epidemic

People experiencing financial difficulty can collect a one-time subsidy to help them through the COVID-19 epidemic, according to government officials.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Finance recently issued a notice to deploy a safety net to ensure the basic livelihood of people in financial difficulty.

The notice requires an increase in temporary assistance to people, including those who are uninsured or unemployed. One-time financial assistance can be offered to people who cannot return to work due to the COVID-19 epidemic and who have had no source of income for three months, or who live in financial difficulty and are uncovered by unemployment insurance, such as some migrant workers, as well as those unable to collect the minimum living allowance.

Subsidies can be applied for and collected in the areas people work or live, the notice said.

It requires local governments to strengthen canvassing and take advantage of the national information platform for low-income earners to find people in need and provide assistance accordingly.

Assistance should be offered regardless of people's household registrations, and collecting the assistance should be easy and can be provided through goods, cash or other help.

Accommodation should be provided to people who are stranded due to epidemic control protocols.

The notice also asked for the strengthening of fund supervision, strictly prohibiting any form of misappropriation or embezzlement.

Civil affairs departments across the country have offered assistance during the epidemic to support people in financial difficulty.

The Ningxia Hui autonomous region will give 600 yuan ($90) as a one-time payment to people in need, including college graduates and people unemployed because of the epidemic.

According to a notice released recently by the civil affairs commission in Ningxia, the subsidy has been available since June at 200 yuan per month for three months.

Last month, Shandong province's capital Jinan released a notice to provide subsidies to migrant workers who cannot find a job during the epidemic or can't receive financial support from their families.

As of May 7, a total of 3.78 million yuan had been given in one-time subsidies since the outbreak of the epidemic, Gao Yincheng, deputy director of Jinan civil affairs commission, told a news conference last month.

Meanwhile, some provinces have rolled out measures to help graduates who are facing mounting pressures landing a job.

In Jiangxi, 2022 college graduates can collect a one-time subsidy of from 5,000 to 10,000 yuan if they start their own business this year, operate the business for more than six months and have no other form of employment.