Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra has signed a decision issuing the Prime Minister's action plan to implement conclusions reached by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam during a meeting with the Government Party Committee and relevant agencies on social welfare policies and support for vulnerable groups.

The plan aims to establish a largely comprehensive, multi-tiered and digitalized social protection system by 2030, ensuring a minimum level of social security for everyone.

By 2045, the system is expected to approach the standards of developed, high-income countries, offering quality services, sustainable financing, transparent governance and the capacity to respond swiftly to emerging risks.

The minimum social protection floor must guarantee access to essential healthcare, basic income security and opportunities for children's development. It must also provide support for working-age people facing unemployment, loss of livelihood, maternity-related needs, accidents or disabilities, while ensuring essential income and care for older people.

Building on this foundation, Vietnam will continue developing compulsory, voluntary and supplementary insurance schemes, with contributions and participation from the state, businesses, communities and families.

Social protection must also reflect the role of families and relationships between generations. Parents' employment and income are closely linked to their children's living conditions, care and education.

Policies must be measured by the tangible benefits they deliver to individuals, the stability of families and the prospects of future generations.

The commitment to "leave no one behind" must translate into measurable and verifiable outcomes. No one should fall below the minimum living standard without being identified, no child should have to leave school because of poverty, and no person with a particularly severe disability should be left without care.

To expand social insurance coverage and build a more inclusive labor market, the Prime Minister has called for more flexible insurance packages, allowing different contribution levels, payment periods and participation methods, alongside appropriate support for low-income earners.

The action plan specifically calls for research into how responsibility for social insurance contributions should be divided among the state, workers and digital platform companies, including ride-hailing and app-based taxi services.

The Prime Minister also raised the possibility of extending occupational accident insurance and maternity benefits to workers in the informal economy.

Support for working-age people should go beyond financial assistance, incorporating skills training, employment counseling, access to credit and connections with businesses.

As Vietnam prepares for an aging population, the plan calls for a national strategy to develop the care economy, bringing together healthcare, rehabilitation, social services and care delivered at home and within communities.

It also outlines the development of day-care services, temporary and respite care, assistance for people with disabilities, palliative care and mental health support.

Notably, the Prime Minister's plan calls for pilot long-term care insurance programs in selected localities, with thorough assessments of their financial implications before any wider rollout.

Caregiving occupations should also be standardized, with appropriate training and policies for social workers, nurses and home-based caregivers.

The plan further calls for social care homes for older people living alone or without family support, ensuring that they do not have to remain in temporary or dilapidated housing.

Another priority is the timely delivery of primary healthcare, regular medical examinations and individual health records for older people at commune-level health facilities.

Initial attention will focus on those aged 75 and above, with services gradually expanding to people aged 65 and older.

The Prime Minister has also directed authorities to provide home-based medical examinations and treatment for older people who are unable to travel to healthcare facilities.

Tran Thuong