The cabinet on Tuesday approved the Interior Ministry's proposal to pay a 2,000-baht subsistence allowance for six months to Metropolitan Electricity Authority workers on less than 15,000 baht a month, deputy government spokesman Supachai Jaisamut said.

A total of 529 MEA workers were entitled to the benefit, he said.

The cabinet also gave approval for the MEA to seek 382 million baht in domestic loans to offset for the revenue loss from giving free electricity to low-income people under the government's five measures to cushion the impact of the economic slump.

The Finance Ministry will be the loan guarantor and the government will be responsible for loan repayments.