The study represents the second year of the research project A Comparative Study on Social Assistance that started in 2014. The project, in its first year, looked into social assistance systems and welfare reforms in the UK and Japan. The present study selected three countries―Sweden, France, and the US― for comparison of social assistance systems. The aim of this study is to examine how social assistance systems works in other countries and to develop a social assistance reform model for Korea. Finally, the research would help build a baseline data of recent social assistance reforms of various counties.
This study proposes an in-depth analytical framework of international comparison of social assistance systems. The framework is utilized for analysing the six focus areas which are related to public assistance. This study focuses on the following six topics:
1. Historical background of social assistance
2. Basic structure and feature of social assistance
3. Eligibility and benefit payment of each social assistance program
4. Recent trend of policy reforms(including Relations with Employment and Social Supports)
5. Administration and delivery of social assistance.
6. Policy Implications in Korean Social Welfare System
Social Assistance in Sweden: current situation and issue
Universal social policy is more advanced in Sweden than in any other country. Sweden has a national health service system, a free education system(including higher education), and well-developed housing support programs. Its nation pension, including guarantee pension, supports old age, and family allowance is provided for families with children
Social assistance is a kind of last-resort support in Sweden. Most social assistance recipients are the people suffering from complex social problems. Social assistance based on ‘Social Service Act’ is under Kommun(local government) and is well combined with social service.
Social assistance called ‘Ekonomiskt bist?nd’ consists of basic consumption for every household, consumption for individual needs and additional cost for special needs. Frontline social workers decide the amount benefits for every household after assessing their conditions. Youth and immigrants make up a considerable percentage in the social assistance recipients.