Xifeng expands pension support for vulnerable residents

"My son has severe intellectual and physical disabilities and is unable to care for himself. As a beneficiary of China's assistance program for people in extreme hardship, I used to worry about his future pension security. Now that the government covers his pension insurance contributions, I feel much more at ease," said Ma, a resident of Xiayanglang village in Yongyang subdistrict, Xifeng county.

The changes experienced by Ma's family reflect Xifeng county's efforts to provide pension insurance contribution subsidies for vulnerable groups. In recent years, the county has focused on low-income households, people receiving assistance for extreme hardship, and individuals with severe disabilities. Through measures such as data sharing, dynamic management, and an "automatic eligibility" service model, eligible residents can receive pension insurance subsidies without having to submit applications.

Staff members assist residents with pension insurance procedures. [Photo/xifeng.gov.cn]

"I used to think the annual contribution was troublesome and worried it would add to my financial burden," said Jia, a low-income resident of Xiayanglang village. "After staff members visited my home to explain the policy and show me the benefits, I began paying my share on time. Now I receive a pension every month."

To ensure the policy reaches those who need it most, Xifeng has established a dynamic management system for disadvantaged groups, carrying out monthly data verification to promptly include eligible residents in the program. The county fully covers pension insurance contributions for people with severe disabilities, while also providing contribution subsidies for low-income households and people receiving assistance for extreme hardship, helping to ease their financial burden.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Xifeng contributed a total of 1.37 million yuan ($201,636) in pension insurance subsidies, benefiting vulnerable residents more than 20,000 times and further strengthening the social security safety net for those most in need.