Seoul launches eight-month, 300,000-won stipend for 9-39-year-old caregivers.
Seoul City has announced a new self-care stipend for about 330 family caregiving youths and young adults aged 9 to 39 who reside in Seoul. The program provides 300,000 won per month for up to eight months, from May through December. In high-burden cases—such as when the caregiver supports a severely disabled or severely ill family member or when two or more family members are bearing the caregiving load—the monthly payment increases to 400,000 won.
Under the city’s ordinance on family caregiving youths and young adults, the term refers to individuals aged 9 to 39 who are caring for a family member with disabilities or mental and physical illnesses.
The self-care funds are eligible for use in areas such as self-development, health management, counseling or treatment, cultural activities, and other costs needed to ease the family’s caregiving burden. Recipients must also maintain a care-use record every two months to document how the stipend is spent and changes in caregiving burden during the eight-month period.
Applications will be accepted online on the Seoul Welfare Portal from May 16 to 31. Minors under 14 cannot apply online and must apply in person with a legal guardian at their district office, bringing required documents.
Even if a household falls within 150 percent of the standard median income, basic living recipients and near-poor households are excluded because the stipend would be counted as income and could affect existing welfare benefits. Participants in other city programs such as the Seoul Youth Allowance or the Hope Doubling Youth Savings program are also ineligible for duplicate support.
Seoul City says it will continue its partnerships with private organizations to provide housing and medical support for family caregiving youths and young adults. As of 2025, the city has 11 partner agencies under contract, up from seven in 2023, with ongoing efforts to sustain and expand welfare services in this area.
Seoul’s welfare chief Yun Jong-jang said the program aims to help young people who have postponed their own plans because of family caregiving responsibilities and to ensure they grow within a robust social safety net, with ongoing expansion planned.