The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Saturday announced that the official minimum monthly cost of living in six cities and counties would be raised next year, meaning that more low-income and lower-middle income households would be eligible for government subsidies.
The six are Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Taichung, and Kinmen and Lienchiang counties.
Among Taiwan’s six major municipalities, the poverty line for low-income households in Taipei would be raised by the largest amount, from NT$16,580 to NT$17,005, the ministry said.
Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times
For lower-middle income households, the poverty line in Taipei would be increased to NT$24,293, it said.
In New Taipei City the poverty line for low-income families would be adjusted from NT$14,666 to NT$15,500, in Taoyuan it would be raised from NT$14,578 to NT$15,281 and in Taichung it would be raised from NT$13,813 to NT$14,596.
Tainan and Kaohsiung have decided not to raise their poverty lines, the ministry said.
The poverty line for low-income families in Kinmen and Lienchiang would increase from NT$11,135 to NT$11,648, it said.
The poverty line is defined as 60 percent of the average national monthly expenditure for the previous year, with some restrictions relating to ownership of assets and real estate.
The poverty line can be adjusted any time that changes in the cost of living reach 5 percent, a ministry official said.
As of the end of June, Taiwan had 252,263 low-income and lower-middle income households, ministry figures showed.
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