Spouses and Family Members Can Now Apply for Pregnancy Support Services on Behalf of Pregnant Women

Starting now, spouses or direct family members of pregnant women can apply for the government's "Mom-Friendly Pregnancy" service, which provides support for folic acid, iron supplements, and pregnancy-related medical expenses.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that it has amended the "Regulations on Integrated Processing of Pregnancy and Childbirth-Related Services" and will implement the changes starting June 30.

According to a case study released by the government, a pregnant woman, identified as A, was hospitalized under strict doctor's orders for bed rest due to symptoms of premature labor.

Although she wanted to apply for government support, such as folic acid and iron supplements, through the "Mom-Friendly Pregnancy" service, she had to delay the application because her health condition made it difficult to apply in person.

However, thanks to this amendment, A can now designate her spouse as a proxy to apply for the "Mom-Friendly Pregnancy" service while she remains in bed for recovery.

Previously, the application was restricted to the pregnant woman herself as of the date of application, as the government support requires verification of pregnancy.

Now, in cases where the pregnant woman cannot apply in person due to unavoidable circumstances, as in the case of A, family members including spouses, direct blood relatives, and siblings can apply on her behalf.

When applying, the proxy must submit a power of attorney and a family relationship certificate to prove their relationship with the pregnant woman.

Additionally, the application process for the government's "Happy Childbirth" service, used after giving birth, will be simplified. Previously, childbirth benefits provided to low-income households receiving basic livelihood security could only be applied for at the resident registration address of the person who gave birth, but from now on, applications can be made anywhere in the country.

Kim Min-jae, Vice Minister of the Interior and Safety, stated, "We will continue to actively collaborate with relevant ministries to make pregnancy and childbirth support services more convenient and improve them to minimize the inconveniences citizens face in their daily lives."

Reported by Kim Taewon | Video by Ryu Jisu | Graphics by Yang Hyemin | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.