China is seeking to expand and improve access to its social assistance programs to better support those in need, according to a draft law under review by national lawmakers.

Aiming to build a fairer and more inclusive social safety net, the draft law proposes broader coverage beyond the current beneficiaries such as extremely poor households and those receiving minimum living allowances. It also seeks to include families that are just above the threshold for such allowances or are struggling to meet essential expenses.

Assistance will be tailored based on recipients' individual needs and situations, with support covering not only basic living expenses but also specialized social services and emergency aid, such as employment, housing, healthcare and education.

The draft law, comprising of 76 articles across seven chapters, was submitted on Tuesday to the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, for a first reading.

"The current social assistance system now faces new circumstances and challenges amid socioeconomic development efforts," Civil Affairs Minister Lu Zhiyuan told lawmakers while explaining the draft.

"These include difficulties in coordination, limited coverage, complicated procedures and insufficient participation by society as a whole."

To address these issues, the draft law calls for making assistance more efficient, accessible and timely.

County-level governments would be required to establish coordinated processing mechanisms to reduce repeated application visits.

Township-level governments and subdistrict offices would be mandated to set up reception windows to accept and refer applications promptly.

The verification process for applicants would also be streamlined. County-level authorities would be authorized to check income and asset information, and the results would be shared and recognized across departments.

Grassroots-level officials are encouraged to monitor residents' living conditions and provide assistance in accordance with the law. The draft also promotes digitizing social assistance data to strengthen dynamic monitoring of low-income groups.

In addition, the proposal calls for stronger public participation in social assistance efforts, including from citizens, businesses and nonprofit organizations. It emphasizes closer coordination between government and society and allows for government procurement of services to support assistance programs.

China introduced interim measures for social assistance in 2014, which have played a key role in promoting social equity and stability. However, the country still lacks a comprehensive legal framework to guide and support these efforts.

limenghan@chinadaily.com.cn