Hai Phong ensures social security for the elderly.

Without pensions or social insurance, many elderly people in Hai Phong have to continue working to make a living and maintain their lives.

Despite her old age and lack of a pension, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hop still has to sell vegetables every day to make a living.

Struggling to make a living

At 68 years old, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang, residing in Hai An ward, still regularly wakes up at 4 a.m. every day to cook sticky rice to sell at the market. Each day, she earns about 120,000 - 150,000 VND, enough to cover her frugal expenses and buy medicine. “I worked as a garment factory worker for over 20 years, but quit before I was old enough and didn’t participate in social insurance. Now that I’m old, I have no pension, so I can only rely on myself,” Ms. Hang shared.

Every day at 7 a.m., Mr. Tran Van Hoa, 69 years old, from Hai Duong ward, rides his old bicycle, carrying a box of shoe-shining tools, to various coffee shops and pho restaurants in the area to make a living. He says he has two children who both have their own families but are poor, so he lives alone because he doesn't want to be a burden to them. When he was healthy, he did whatever work he could find, from construction work to loading and unloading goods.

In recent years, due to old age and declining health, he switched to shoe shining to earn extra income to make ends meet. Last July, upon turning 75, he received a monthly allowance of 500,000 VND, in addition to the approximately 2 million VND he earned from shoe shining. "That amount is barely enough to cover monthly expenses. Without a pension or savings, if I need to see a doctor or buy medicine, I won't have any money left for food," Mr. Hoa said.

According to statistics, Hai Phong currently has over 700,000 elderly people, accounting for approximately 18% of the total population. However, the number of elderly people receiving pensions, monthly social insurance benefits, or social assistance remains low.

Without a pension, many elderly people struggle to make ends meet.

Ensuring social security for the elderly.

In reality, the low number of people with pensions, social insurance, and health insurance increases the burden on the social security system. Therefore, the Government aims to have approximately 60% of people above retirement age receiving monthly pensions, social insurance benefits, and social assistance by 2030.

To help workers receive a pension in old age, the State has been subsidizing a portion of social insurance contributions for those participating in voluntary social insurance. Meanwhile, the 2024 Social Insurance Law (effective from July 1, 2025) expands the policy, allowing those participating in voluntary social insurance to receive additional maternity benefits, at a rate of 2 million VND per child born. Furthermore, those participating in social insurance in general are entitled to a retirement pension upon reaching the prescribed retirement age and having contributed to social insurance for 15 years or more.

In Hai Phong city, in addition to the government-mandated support, people in certain categories receive further assistance. Specifically, the city provides an additional 30% subsidy on contributions for those participating in voluntary social insurance who are from poor households; 25% for those participating in voluntary social insurance who are from near-poor households; and 10% for those participating in voluntary social insurance who belong to other eligible groups.

Individuals participating in voluntary social insurance residing in the Cat Hai and Bach Long Vi special zones receive a 50% subsidy from the State on their monthly voluntary social insurance contributions, based on the standard poverty level for rural areas. The city also provides additional financial support for voluntary social insurance participants in the area…

"Having been a factory worker, after quitting my job, I didn't have enough time to receive a pension, so in 2020, I decided to continue participating in voluntary social insurance. In August 2024, I completed 20 years of contributions and started receiving my pension from September 2024 at a rate of over 2 million VND per month. The amount isn't large, but it's a support that gives me peace of mind in my old age," said Ms. Vu Thi Vui from Gia Phuc commune.

According to Mr. Pham Quang San, Vice Chairman of the City's Senior Citizens Association, many elderly people currently do not have pensions but still have their children as a support system. However, many others, partly because they don't want to be a burden to their children, and partly because their children are also facing difficulties, have to work to make a living. Mr. San also stated that to ensure the elderly have a secure life, access to healthcare, and medical treatment, along with government support policies and the concerted efforts of the entire political system, each worker needs to take responsibility for themselves while they are still healthy by working, saving, and participating in voluntary social insurance…

"Population aging is an inevitable trend, but sustainable aging can only be achieved when people have a stable social security foundation. Therefore, preparing for old age is not only the responsibility of the State, but also the awareness of each worker from the time they are still healthy. Because social security for old age cannot begin when we have already retired," Mr. San said.

HA VY

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/hai-phong-bao-dam-an-sinh-cho-nguoi-cao-tuoi-525172.html