금융 위기가구 등 16만 명 복지사각지대 조사
금융 위기가구 등 16만 명 복지사각지대 조사 | Korea Launches Welfare Outreach for 160,000 At-Risk Individuals
금융·생계 위기에 놓인 가구를 찾아갑니다
보건복지부는 2026년 8월 24일부터 10월 16일까지 8주 동안 약 16만 명을 대상으로 ‘2026년도 제4차 복지사각지대 발굴 조사’를 실시합니다.
이번 조사는 생활이 어렵지만 복지서비스를 신청하지 못했거나, 어디에 도움을 요청해야 하는지 몰라 위기를 혼자 견디는 가구를 조기에 발견하기 위한 것입니다.
특히 금융 연체, 과도한 채무, 불법사금융 피해 등으로 생계 위기에 놓인 가구를 집중적으로 살펴봅니다. 기존 금융연체자와 채무조정 중지자 정보에 불법사금융 피해자와 취약채무자 정보까지 새롭게 활용합니다.
금융 위기가구 약 1만6천 명을 비롯해 단전·단수 등 생활 위기에 놓인 가구, 생계·주거·의료·고용 문제를 복합적으로 겪는 가구도 함께 조사합니다.
위기 가능성이 확인되면 읍·면·동 행정복지센터의 찾아가는 보건복지팀이 전화하거나 가정을 방문해 실제 생활 형편을 확인합니다. 이후 긴급복지 생계지원, 기초생활보장, 의료비·주거지원, 채무조정, 금융상담, 민간 후원 및 돌봄서비스 등을 가구 상황에 맞게 연계합니다.
다만 조사 대상자로 선정됐다고 해서 지원금이 자동 지급되는 것은 아닙니다. 상담과 조사를 통해 소득·재산 및 위기 상황을 확인한 뒤 각 제도의 선정기준에 따라 지원 여부가 결정됩니다.
전기·수도요금이나 월세가 밀렸거나, 식비와 병원비가 부족하거나, 빚과 불법사금융으로 어려움을 겪고 있다면 정부의 연락을 기다리지 말고 도움을 요청해야 합니다.
가까운 행정복지센터를 방문하거나 보건복지상담센터 국번 없이 129로 전화할 수 있습니다. 일반 상담은 평일 오전 9시부터 오후 6시까지이며 긴급지원 상담은 24시간 가능합니다. 가족이나 이웃도 위기가구를 대신해 알릴 수 있습니다.
Korea Launches an Eight-Week Welfare Outreach Program
South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare has launched the fourth welfare blind-spot identification program of 2026. The nationwide outreach runs from August 24 through October 16 and is expected to examine approximately 160,000 people who may be experiencing serious financial or living difficulties.
The program is designed to identify households that are struggling but remain disconnected from public welfare services. Some people may not know which assistance programs are available, while others may be unable to complete an application because of poor health, limited mobility, social isolation, or a lack of family support.
Older adults living alone can be particularly vulnerable. A financial problem may quickly develop into unpaid utility bills, housing instability, delayed medical treatment, inadequate meals, and a growing need for daily care.
Greater Attention to Financially Vulnerable Households
This outreach places particular emphasis on people facing debt-related hardship.
The government will examine various warning signs, including financial delinquency, discontinued debt-adjustment arrangements, rejected applications for government-supported financial products, illegal private lending cases, and information concerning other vulnerable borrowers.
Approximately 16,000 financially at-risk individuals have been identified for closer examination. The broader program also covers people experiencing electricity or water disconnection, as well as households facing a combination of financial, housing, medical, and employment difficulties.
The purpose is not to punish people because they have debt. The goal is to recognize when a financial crisis has begun to threaten a person’s ability to afford food, housing, medical care, and other basic necessities.
What Happens After a Household Is Identified?
Local welfare teams at community administrative welfare centers may contact the household by telephone or conduct an in-person visit.
A welfare officer will assess the person’s actual circumstances and determine which public or community resources may be appropriate. Depending on eligibility and individual needs, support may include:
Emergency living-expense assistance
Basic livelihood security benefits
Medical and housing assistance
Debt-adjustment and financial counseling
Food and daily necessities
Mental-health counseling
Home-care and community welfare services
Support from private charities and local organizations
Being included in the outreach list does not automatically guarantee financial assistance. Income, assets, household circumstances, and the urgency of the crisis must be reviewed according to the requirements of each program.
People Can Ask for Help Directly
Not every crisis can be detected through government records. A person may still be in serious difficulty even when there is no record of an unpaid bill or financial delinquency.
People should seek assistance if they are unable to pay rent or utility bills, cannot afford sufficient food or necessary medical treatment, are being harmed by illegal lenders, or have no family member available to help them.
Anyone who needs help can contact a nearby community administrative welfare center. The national Health and Welfare Counseling Center is also available by dialing 129 within Korea.
General consultations are offered on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Emergency welfare consultations are available 24 hours a day.
Family members, neighbors, social workers, and other community members can also report concerns when a vulnerable person is unable to seek assistance independently.
Why This Matters for Older Adults
Financial hardship among older adults rarely exists as an isolated issue.
An older person who cannot pay utility bills may also be living without adequate cooling or heating. Someone struggling with medical expenses may stop taking prescribed medication. Limited mobility can make it difficult to purchase groceries, prepare meals, clean the home, or visit a welfare office.
Effective support therefore requires more than a single cash payment. Financial assistance, healthcare, housing, mental-health support, and long-term care services must work together.
Community awareness is equally important. Uncollected mail, an unexplained absence, a sudden change in appearance, or a home without heating or cooling may be signs that an older neighbor needs help.
A kind question or a single call to a local welfare office can become the first step toward safety and recovery.
The official investigation continues until October 16, 2026, but requests for emergency welfare assistance can be made at any time.
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea, August 25, 2026
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