Millions labourers to benefit from housing rent support policy

Some 3.4 million labourers would benefit from the housing rent support policy that has been recently approved by the Prime Minister, heard a press conference in Hanoi on March 30.

Decision No. 08/2022/QD-TTg on the housing rent support aims to assist workers who face housing difficulties and help enterprises maintain production and attract employees back who left cities for their hometown during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Vu Trong Binh, head of the Department of Employment under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

Accordingly, two groups will receive support, labourers working in enterprises and those returning to the labour market, at the rate of 500,000 VND per person each month (21.7 USD) and 1,000,000 VND per person each month, respectively.

The decision says the time for handling the request and paying workers is four days from the People’s Committee of the locality receiving the documents.

Employers need to compile lists of employees requesting support based on the employee’s application and publicly post the lists at the workplaces for at least three working days. Employers are responsible for the accuracy of employee information.

Employers must send the lists to social insurance agencies to confirm that employees included are participating in social insurance (the processing time is two days).

Employers then submit a request for support to the district-level People’s Committee for appraisal and then submit to the provincial-level People’s Committee to issue a decision approving the lists, funding for support and directing the payment of support. The processing time of district-level and provincial-level People’s Committees is two days each.

Employers must then make payment to employees within two working days from the date of receipt of the support fund.

MoLISA Deputy Minister said Le Van Thanh said around 2.2 million labourers left southern key economic localities for their hometown due to the pandemic, leading to a labour shortage at industrial parks, processing zones and major economic regions.

The policy, therefore, is significant to production recovery in the new situation, he said, noting that from March 31, the ministry will issue a document providing detailed guidelines on the implementation of the policy./.