The enactment of National Basic Livelihood Security Act in September 1999 is one of most significant changes of social welfare policy arena in Kim Dae-jung Government. The Livelihood Protection Act which has been enforced during the last 40 years simply served as a beneficial protection measure. However, a major paradigm shift has been undertaken to strengthen the Government´s responsibility.
This study aims to examine the changing aspects of anti-poverty policies, to analyse the problems and limits of self-support care, and to make a few suggestions for its future.
The changed aspects of anti-poverty policies are examined by their conditions of entitlement, amount and kind of benefits, and trends of expenditure. Some of the changes include full coverage of the social safety net to secure the basic livelihood protection for the low-income class, a comprehensive poverty countermeasure to enhance recipients´ ability to self-support, and strengthening of the rights of the recipients and social responsibility regarding poverty. As measures to provide self-support aid to those having the ability to work, a self-support care for each household depending upon the recipient´s ability to work, desire for self-support and living condition is provided. But, there are some controversial policy issues. These issues are analysed by using policy content evaluation method. In each step of policy process, this study can identify five critical issues of self-support care. Finally, some suggestions are made for the development of self-support care.
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