Get the latest crypto news, updates, and reports by subscribing to our free newsletter.
Giấy phép số 4978/GP-TTĐT do Sở Thông tin và Truyền thông Hà Nội cấp ngày 14 tháng 10 năm 2019 / Giấy phép SĐ, BS GP ICP số 2107/GP-TTĐT do Sở TTTT Hà Nội cấp ngày 13/7/2022.
© 2026 Index.vn
The Vietnamese pig farming industry is supported by a large, steady demand base, but it remains highly volatile due to price cycles and disease risks. As smallholder farming shrinks and large enterprises play a bigger role, companies with stronger control over the value chain are better positioned to manage costs…
Elderly people living in poor households who have no one obligated to provide care, or who have someone obligated to provide care but that caregiver is currently receiving monthly social assistance or lacks the economic capacity and health to perform caregiving, would receive monthly social assistance at a level of 600,000 VND, according to a proposal by the Ministry of Health.
In a draft decree amending and supplementing some provisions of Decree No. 20/2021/ND-CP on social assistance policies for social protection subjects, the Ministry of Health proposes expanding the group eligible for monthly social assistance.
The proposed new benefit applies to elderly people in poor households who either:
The proposed benefit level is 600,000 VND from July 1, 2026.
The Ministry of Health said the addition of this group reflects practical implementation of Decree 20/2021/ND-CP, which has produced cases where elderly people in poor households—sometimes even with children—still live in hardship because the person obligated to provide care is also elderly, in poor health, or seriously ill and has no stable income.
The Ministry noted that regulations based on civil status, without considering the “capacity to perform the obligation,” have created a legal gap that prevents some vulnerable people from accessing social welfare.
In practice, the group had already benefited from stable policies during the period of Decree 136/2013/ND-CP (2013 to 2021). After Decree 20/2021/ND-CP took effect, stricter caregiving conditions created a barrier, prompting 32/63 provinces and cities (from June 2021 to June 2025) to issue special policies to support the target group.
The Ministry of Health described the proposed adjustment—adding “or the person does not have the economic capacity or health to perform caregiving”—as an urgent requirement to concretize principles of the Marriage and Family Law and ensure consistency across the social welfare system nationwide.
The Ministry of Health said the adjustment is essentially a continuation of the group already supported under Decree 136/2013/ND-CP, rather than creating a sudden nationwide increase in beneficiaries.
It also said that as of 10/34 centrally governed provinces and cities, localities had already proactively issued special policies to continue supporting this group in 2021–2025. Therefore, the Ministry believes the revised decree mainly aims to unify the legal framework, not to create new pressure on the total state budget for social welfare.
The Ministry further stated that the number of elderly people who are poor and who simultaneously have a caregiver lacking economic capacity or health is very small and is forecast to decline due to sustainable poverty reduction policies and expanding social insurance coverage.
Beneficiary determination would be carried out strictly based on local practical reviews to ensure coverage for the right people without incurring new operating costs. Funding would be balanced within the annual recurrent expenditure budget already allocated for social protection work, supporting feasibility and long-term sustainability.
According to Ministry of Health statistics, under the implementation of Decree 20/2021/ND-CP and Decree 76/2024/ND-CP, the country is currently providing monthly social assistance to about 4.7 million people—an increase of about 1.6 million compared with 2021 (about a 43.77% increase). The total annual disbursement budget is about 45,000 billion VND.
Operationally, 97% of provinces and cities implement disbursements through social service units, 100% of localities have implemented cashless disbursements, and 2.4 million beneficiaries receive money via bank accounts.
To date, 16 provinces have expanded beneficiaries, and 5 provinces/cities have increased monthly support above the levels provided by Decree 76/2024/ND-CP and Decree 176/2025/ND-CP, gradually meeting demand among vulnerable groups.
Examples cited by the Ministry of Health include:
The Ministry of Health said that raising social assistance standards, pension social support standards, and expanding beneficiaries have gradually met social aid needs for a subset of residents in difficult circumstances.
Premium gym chains are entering a “golden era” that is ending or already in decline, as rising operating costs collide with shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible, community-based ways to exercise. Long-term memberships are shrinking, margins are pressured by higher rents and facility expenses, and competition from smaller, more personalized…
