Welfare Administration Service (Makko Oko)
 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | January 2022 |
| Jurisdiction |  Makko Oko |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | Ministry of Health & Wellness |
| Website | welfare.mohw.gov.mk |
The Welfare Administration Service, also referred to as the WAS, is a welfare agency in the Empire Of Makko Oko. Its mission is to regulate and manage the welfare programs and benefits offered by statute and by the government. The agency has the highest budget of any other in the nation, with the agency budget for 2022 maxing out at IDH$2.5T. The agency is most known for providing freed slaves under Emperor's Order #3 with financial assistance, with the program providing up to $43Kdo's/month to any approved beneficiary.
Unlike most nations, welfare in Makko Oko is based mainly on need, and not so much on how much you earned in a lifetime. The WAS operates the largest government program in Makko Oko, and has 1 field office for every 4 cities.
History
Republic Of Makko Oko
During the Republic, welfare did exist, but was very limited in scale due to the lack of available funding to provide. The government also refused to raise taxes to help the struggling agency. This all cascaded to the 2010 Welfare Crisis where over 7 million people across the nation raided government offices in an attempt to bring attention to them and to the agency. The majority of the raiders were elderly or early retirement people. The raids did little to help, but a law was enacted later to ban welfare to any individual with a criminal record.
Empire Of Makko Oko
When the Empire was established, Emperor Conall Solis sought to abolish welfare for all, merely seeing it as a hindrance and price tag. In January of 2022, however, the Emperor reestablished welfare, and gave a newly formed agency, the WAS, over 50% of the total available funding for welfare. It had to share it with the MVAA until its abolishment on June 17th, 2022.
Coverage & Programs
Programs
Disability
Disabled people are covered under the Disability Assistance Program, or DAP, launched in January of 2022. It can pay up to 3,500do's a month. To qualify for the program, one must meet the eligibility requirements:
- Government must make a determination of disability
- Must have paid all taxes and be current with no debt owed to the government or any single person or company
- Must not be considered to be of wealthy status
- Must agree to renounce all rights for as long as enrollment in the program is active
- Must be a citizen
Before Order #3 was enacted, one also had to have been unable to be enslaved to be eligible for the DAP.
Retirement
Old & Retired Social Pensions Scheme (ORSPS)
Retirement is paid out through the Old & Retired Social Pensions Scheme, also referred to as the ORSPS. It was launched on October 11th, 2023 as a part of welfare reform brought on by the enactment of the Social Security Act of 2023, and is a part of Minister Hicks' health improvement initiative. The scheme is unique in that it has a tiered payments system, based on lifetime welfare contributions. All citizens that are the age of 73 or older may apply for ORSPS.
| Tier | Contribution Bracket | Maximum Pension Payout (%) | Established |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | IDH$15,000-IDH$29,999 | 7% | October 11th, 2023 |
| B | IDH$30,000-IDH$50,000 | 13% | October 11th, 2023 |
| C | IDH$50,001-IDH$80,000 | 15% | October 11th, 2023 |
| D | IDH$80,001-IDH$100K+ | 18% | October 11th, 2023 |
Citizens pay into their contribution bracket with each paycheck via Benefits Tax, meaning that citizens with shorter pay periods may find that they're paying into their bracket more often than others. The scheme doesn't care how often payments are made, and WAS officials will only look at the lifetime contributions tied to their NBN, or National Benefits Number. A citizen can pay into their contribution bracket until they reach qualifying age, which is currently 73, irrespective of gender. Once a citizen has reached qualifying age, they are no longer obligated to pay Benefits Tax, however, they still have to pay other taxes including Insurance Tax.
A citizen can choose to not apply for their pension after qualifying, and if they do, can qualify for a permanent increase in their pension payout. This is possible through a system referred to as the Extended Pension Plan (EPP), which was launched the same day as the main retirement scheme. Any citizen of the age of 73 or older that has not applied for their pension is eligible for EPP benefits. EPP allows citizens to continue paying Benefits Tax at their discretion, which can increase the maximum payout up to a certain amount.
| Years Since Qualifying | Pension Increase (%) | Established |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.1% | October 11th, 2023 |
| 2 | 0.1% | October 11th, 2023 |
| 3 | 0.2% | October 11th, 2023 |
| 4 | 0.3% | October 11th, 2023 |
| 5 | 0.5% | October 11th, 2023 |
| 6 | 0.4% | October 11th, 2023 |
| 7 | 0% | October 11th, 2023 |
| 8 | 0% | October 11th, 2023 |
| 9 | 0.5% | October 11th, 2023 |
| 10 | 1.2% | October 11th, 2023 |
| Contribution Amount | Pension Increase (%) | Established |
|---|---|---|
| IDH$5,000 | 0.5% | October 11th, 2023 |
| IDH$10,000 | 1% | October 11th, 2023 |
| IDH$20,000 | 1.5% | October 11th, 2023 |
| IDH$50,000 | 3% | October 11th, 2023 |
After a certain amount of time, the EPP stops increasing the pension, however, a citizen can still stay in the EPP and be employed until they decide to apply for their pension. Any citizen who was in or approaching retirement before the launch of the scheme is eligible for the discontinued Social Retirement Programme, or SRP for short. Meanwhile any citizen who can qualify for the scheme is mandated to use it and cannot enroll in the SRP.
Benefits
As a part of Minister Hicks' health improvement initiative, the Ministry of Health & Wellness provides a MakCare Basic Services Plan to all pensioners free of charge (A IDH$9,000/year value), that does not have to be paid for by the pensioner.
History
Government Retiree Benefit Program
A special program titled the Government Retiree Benefit Program, or GRB/GRBP, is offered to former government employees who left under good status and serves as a lifetime government pension for those employees. The program was launched in January of 2022 and to qualify, the eligibility requirements must be met:
- Must be of age 60 or older
- Government must make a determination of sufficient government duty
- Must have paid all taxes and be current with no debt owed to the government or any single person or company
- Must have been in good standing upon exit from government duty
- Must be a natural-born citizen
Universal Basic Income
The WAS offers a universal basic income program named the Supplemental Income Programme, or the SIP for short. The program was designed for people who are making less than what is determined to be needed to live a basic and stable life within the nation. It pays up to 10,000do's a month and the below eligibility requirements must be met:
- Must currently be working
- Government must make a determination of poverty status
- Must have paid all taxes and be current with no debt owed to the government or any single person or company
- Must be a citizen or permanent resident
Special Programs
Foreign Starters Programme
Parental Income Assistance Programme
Discontinued Programs
Military Programs
The Military Survivors Benefit Programme (MSBP) and the Military Retirement Program (MRP) are programs of the WAS that were originally offered to surviving family of a soldier/veteran and to veterans respectively. They were both discontinued on December 12th, 2022, upon the enactment of the Veterans Security Act and the establishment of the DVS.
Social Retirement Programme
Retired workers were covered under the Social Retirement Programme, or SAP, which was originally launched in January of 2022. It was discontinued in favor of its replacement, the Old & Retired Social Pensions Scheme, or the ORSPS for short. It paid up to 8,000do's a month.
Citizens qualified for the program by meeting the eligibility requirements:
- Must be of age 65 or older
- Government must make a determination of sufficient work
- Must have paid all taxes and be current with no debt owed to the government or any single person or company
- Must not be considered to be of wealthy status
- Must be a citizen
Temporary Support To Freed Slaves Program
The Temporary Support To Freed Slaves Program, or the TSFS program, was a welfare program launched on October 22nd, 2022 after the Emperor enacted and signed Order #3, declaring the freedom of illegal slaves. It was discontinued around a year later in August 2023. The program was designed for slaves that were freed under Order #3 to help prepare them for a transition back to a regular citizen. It paid up to 12,000do's a month for 6 months. Citizens qualified for the program by meeting the eligibility requirements:
- Must have been a slave freed under Emperor's Order #3
- Should be a citizen, however exceptions can apply
- Must not enroll in any other WAS benefit programs for the duration of TSFS payments
- Must not have previously received TSFS payments
- Must not have been convicted of any finance-related crimes within the nation
Executive Director of WAS
History
| Name | Start year | End year | Regime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby Woods | January 2022 | Present | Conall Solis |
