Thai Finance Ministry to tighten state welfare card criteria

Thailand’s Ministry of Finance is set to review the criteria for the State Welfare Card registration, aiming to exclude ineligible individuals after finding some recipients receiving as much as 10,000 baht per month in benefits.

Deputy Finance Minister Chulapan Amornvivat announced a forthcoming meeting to discuss the progress of the new round of State Welfare Card registration. This comes following the Cabinet’s resolution to review the State Welfare Card data every two years. The preparations for the new registration phase are expected to begin early next year, to complete the eligibility screening by March 31.

Currently, 13.5 million people hold State Welfare Cards. The new eligibility criteria will focus on income levels, asset ownership, and land holdings to accurately determine the poverty status of applicants.

This revision is necessary due to changes in individuals’ circumstances, such as increased income from vocational training or the death of some beneficiaries. In a statement, Chulapan spoke on the accuracy of the data in regards to the recipients.

“After the government transferred 10,000 baht under the 2024 economic stimulus program to State Welfare Card holders and people with disabilities, concerns arose about the accuracy of the data. Questions emerged about whether some recipients were genuinely impoverished or disabled. Hence, it is crucial to consolidate the government welfare data for the targeted groups.”

The Cabinet tasked the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) with overseeing this process. However, the Comptroller General’s Department will also be involved in gathering and integrating welfare data.

Chulapan emphasised the importance of this data for studying the use of taxes to support low-income individuals, particularly those earning below the Negative Income Tax (NIT) threshold, which the Ministry of Finance aims to implement as a welfare system for the country’s low-income population.

“The challenge with implementing NIT lies in the current disorganised state of welfare data. The success of NIT depends on a comprehensive and systematic database. Past studies have shown that incomplete data hinders the policy’s progress.”

The initiative aims to streamline and verify the various types of welfare provided by different agencies. This will ensure the assistance reaches the correct target groups and aligns with the policy objectives.

The review was prompted by findings that some individuals receive up to 10,000 baht per month in state welfare, necessitating an update to the information, reported KhaoSod.