NAV (01.01.2021) The most measures for care allowance will be continued in 2021 due to the coronavirus.

The measures until 31 December 2021:

(18.01.2020) The Star The Wage Subsidy Programme 3.0 under the Social Security Organisation (Socso) will be improved, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. The Prime Minister said all employers operating under the movement control order are eligible to apply, regardless of sectors. He said eligible employers would receive a wage subsidy of RM600 for each of their employees earning less than RM4,000 for a period of one month. "Besides that, the limit of 200 employees for each application will be increased to 500 employees.

The Social Security Fund (SSF) regulation reduces the rate of mandatory Social Security Fund contributions under section 33 of the SSA effective from January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021. Contribution rates are calculated as a percentage of each employees’ monthly wages, based on a minimum monthly wage of THB 1,650 and a maximum monthly wage of THB 15,000. Based on the minimum and maximum wages allowed for calculation, the contributions would range from THB 49.5 to THB 450 per month for both the employer and the employees.

This regulation is similar to a previous regulation from April, 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, stating that the definition of force majeure under the Social Security Act B.E. 2533 (1990) (the SSA) includes hazards from pandemics of dangerous communicable diseases (including COVID-19).

The Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) allows employers to defer the deposit and payment of the employer's share of Social Security taxes and self-employed individuals to defer payment of certain self-employment taxes.

Afin d’inciter au maximum les personnes présentant des symptômes à rester isolées à leur domicile, elles pourront bénéficier d’indemnités journalières et du complément employeur, sans délai de carence ou de conditions d’ouverture du droit, lorsqu’elles sont testées positives à la Covid-19 ou dès lors qu’elles sont symptomatiques, dans l’attente du résultat de leur test.

Payments for qualified child dependants will increase by €5 for children aged 12 or over and €2 for children aged up to 12, meaning parents on weekly social welfare payments will see an increase in their weekly rate of payment. These increases will take effect at various dates in January depending on the weekly welfare payment that either parent is receiving. It is expected that this increase will benefit some 419,000 children at a cost of €59.2 million in 2021.

Development Pathways (January 2021) David Hillson takes a look at the recent historical role of the social contract in social protection within the context of COVID-19. He argues that the social contract has been central to huge socio-economic advances and is a product and reflection of each political zeitgeist. David concludes that now is the moment to create an inclusive, universal social protection new normal to help reshape societies during the time of the pandemic and beyond.

brookings.edu (07.01.2021) In the spring of 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated recession, policymakers originated significant expansions to social insurance, including unemployment insurance benefits, refundable tax credits, and paid leave. Because of this expansion, the average household experienced an increase in purchasing power, even as the labor market and employee compensation sharply contracted during the spring of 2020.

October 2020 (caf.fr)

In October 2020, the Cnaf released 5 million euros for the purchase of 500,000 inclusive masks (transparent) for early childhood professionals working in a childcare centre or "childcare assistants' centres".

From the beginning of the pandemic, decisions were taken to ensure the automatic renewal of social minimum entitlements. Given the reopening of all public services, this measure now only concerns certain benefits. This is particularly the case for disabled persons receiving the disabled adult allowance (Aah) or the education allowance for disabled children (Aeeh).

March 2020 (caf.fr)

08.12.2020 (education.gouv.fr)

Since the circulation of the Covid19 and the health crisis, the Caisse nationale des allocations familiales (Cnaf) has put in place measures to support particularly disadvantaged families, as well as various managers of services useful to families. The back-to-school allowance (Allocation de rentrée scolaire) paid to families with the lowest incomes and school-age children has been exceptionally increased by €100 per child as part of the Government's Recovery Plan.

kela.fi (21.12.2020) Several temporary changes made to the unemployment benefit laws have been extended until the end of March 2021. Self-employed persons will remain eligible for labour market subsidy payments until 31 March 2021 if their business has suffered due to the coronavirus epidemic. Higher exempt amounts of EUR 500 and EUR 465 will remain in force until the end of March 2021. Exceptions made to the rules on waiting periods, work requirements and maximum length of payment will expire at the end of 2020.

The coronavirus relief bill extends and modifies several provisions first enacted in the CARES Act, Congress’s $2.2 trillion pandemic relief law that was passed in March. With this package, lawmakers will have responded to the coronavirus and related economic hardship with a record-setting $3 trillion of fiscal support. The package extends relief through mid-March of 2021, providing support to help people and businesses get through the next several months of the pandemic. 

The Washington Post (21.12.2020) The biggest concern with the bill is that the aid doesn’t last long enough

weforum.org (06.01.2021)The use of telemedicine has surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Start-up Carbon Health is working to make it accessible to underserved communities. Its founder says it has reduced costs by using technology to improve efficiency. His company uses pop-up clinics to deliver treatments and COVID-19 tests; patients can book appointments using a smartphone app.

Public spending in health may allow consumers to decrease their precautionary savings and spend more, thus supporting aggregate demand, writes Valerio Ercolani

World Economic Forum (14.12.2020) China covers the COVID-19 medical costs for all patients including domestic migrants. The payment structure is part of the country’s “wartime” governance. It also reflects the long-term institutional transformation of the Chinese healthcare system.

El Peruano (23.12.2020) The Government published the Emergency Decree No. 137-2020, which authorizes transfers to central government entities and regional governments, for the payment of extraordinary bonus established in Law 31083, equivalent to a minimum vital remuneration (930 soles) to pensioners of the Social Security Normalization Office (ONP). The extraordinary bonus will be paid from January 11, 2021. It will be paid automatically in the same account in which the pension is deposited, together with the pension for the month of January.

El Peruano (03.12.2020) Law N ° 31068 approved on November 18 authorizes that people who have not worked on the payroll in the last 12 months will be able to withdraw up to four tax units (UIT), that is, 17,200 soles. The first deposits would be made before January 9, 2021.

ProVida (10.12.2020) All members of an AFP (contributors, non-contributors and pensioners) can request their Second Retirement withdrawal up to 10% of the total saving in their Mandatory Account, with a maximum amount of 150UF (around $ 4,300,000). Survival Pension beneficiaries can also make a Retirement request for those balances.

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has revealed full details for the i-Sinar program which will allow eligible members to make withdrawals from Account 1. The i-Sinar program was introduced to assist members who are affected by the current pandemic situation. Affected members who wish to take out funds are able to apply online starting from 21st December 2020.

CNNPolitics (21.12.2020) Congress is on the verge of passing a far-reaching $900 billion Covid relief package that promises to accelerate vaccine distribution and deliver much-needed aid to small businesses hit hard by the pandemic, Americans who have lost their jobs during the economic upheaval and health care workers on the front lines of the crisis.

ltccovid.org - 2020 "If you're doing research on COVID-19 & Long-Term Care it may be useful to see what others are doing! Here's a searchable international database of projects (a bit UK biased, but hopefully we'll get information from more projects in other countries soon!) "