Welfare payments to families with newborns now expanded

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Bangkok – Families with newborn babies will now be able to receive financial support from the government via the social security welfare program.

The welfare program for families with newborns was introduced in 2015 by the Ministry of Social Security and Human Development to help parents outside the social security system who had a combined monthly income of 3,000 baht or less. More than 154,000 people registered with the program, which disbursed a 400-baht monthly stipend to each family until October 2016.

The Cabinet has now approved a two-year extension and has increased the monthly stipend to 600 baht. More than 376,600 people registered for the second round of the program, exceeding the government’s target of 200,000.

To promote social equality, the Cabinet decided last week to expand the welfare program to all those accessing social security. All Thai families with newborn babies now have an entitlement to the help they need for sustainable early development of their children.