The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has dismissed a rumour that the government will soon limit the right to receive the old-age allowance only to the poor.
At a press conference, Anukul Peedkaew, the deputy permanent secretary of the ministry, and Suchitra Phitthayanoraset, director-general of the Department of Older Persons, insisted the proposal was only in the discussion stage within the ministry's subcommittee responsible for setting the rates of allowances for the elderly.
The proposal must be approved by the national committee on elderly people. It must also be approved by the cabinet before taking effect, said Mr Anukul.
The present pension scheme covers every senior citizen regardless of their social or economic status. Elderly Thais under 69 years old receive 600 baht per month, while those aged 70 to 79 receive 800 baht. Those aged 80 to 89 get 800 baht per month, while citizens aged 90 and above get 1,000 baht.
The idea to alter the old-age allowance has prompted strong opposition from several sides, led by advocacy groups working on social welfare policies including Welfare Watch Network. People also vented their criticism against the proposal on social media.
On Sept 14, the sub-committee had discussed a proposal to change the elderly allowance rules to offer allowances to only poor elderly people and the proposal now could be approved by the sub-committee, said an informed source who attended the meeting.
At the meeting, the proposed change was seen by its opponents as backtracking on the national elderly welfare policy, which currently is made universal to all, said the source.
Those supporting the proposal mainly reasoned that the change would help save state budget as those elderly people who are not poor will be excluded, said the source.
The proposed change followed an interpretation of the law by the Council of State that the government is not required to pay all elderly people living allowances. The interpretation followed a number of cases in which elderly persons were required to return their old-age allowances they had received after they were found to have received other types of pensions simultaneously.