🚨 Personal Assistant Services

Today Korean Social News for Beginners | 2025.10.23

0️⃣ Problems with the Assessment System and Ways to Improve Support for People with Disabilities

📌 Can't Even Use the Bathroom but Gets 'Level 12'... People with Disabilities Suffer from Unfair Assessments

💬 Mr. Park (29), who has developmental disabilities, cannot go to the bathroom by himself and needs help swallowing food. However, he was rated low on his Personal Assistant Services assessment and only received 150 hours of support per month. After re-assessment and appeals, his hours increased to 330, but this showed the problems with the initial assessment. 314 people filed a group complaint, and more than half (162 people) got their support levels raised. The unfair ratings and unclear assessment process are getting attention again. The gap between people's real abilities and assessment results causes big problems for people with disabilities and their families. Disability rights groups want the system to include opinions from experts, families, and personal assistants in the assessment process.

💡 Summary

• Personal Assistant Services is a welfare program that helps people with severe disabilities live independently in their communities.
• Assessments decide support levels, but results can change a lot depending on which assessor does the review.
• Out of 314 group complaints, 162 people got higher levels, showing the urgent need for fair and clear improvements.

1️⃣ Definition

Personal Assistant Services means a welfare program that helps people with severe disabilities live independently in their communities by supporting daily physical activities, household tasks, and social activities. Personal assistants help with all parts of daily life for people with disabilities. The goal goes beyond simple care to guarantee social participation and independent living.

After the disability grade system ended in 2019, a comprehensive assessment method started. This method evaluates daily living abilities, thinking and behavior patterns, and social participation to divide people into levels 1 through 15. Higher levels (lower numbers) get more support hours.

💡 Why is this important?

• This is a key program that protects basic survival rights and independent living for people with disabilities.
• Without proper support, quality of life drops significantly for people with disabilities and their families.
• Fair assessments directly affect trust in disability welfare policies.
• This is basic infrastructure for community integration and protecting disability rights.

2️⃣ Current Situation and Problems with Personal Assistant Services

📕 Legal Basis and Support Content of Personal Assistant Services

• The Act on Activity Assistance for Persons with Disabilities is the foundation of this system. Main points include:

  • It serves people with severe disabilities aged 6 to 64.
  • Basic support includes help with physical activities (bathing, eating, using the bathroom, etc.).
  • It also includes household support (cleaning, laundry, shopping, etc.).
  • Social activity support (going out, banking, hospital visits, etc.) helps with social participation.
  • Users pay a personal fee (based on income level) and the government covers the rest.

• Support hours are set by level. Main standards are:

  • Level 1 can receive up to 480 hours per month.
  • Level 2 gets 440 hours per month, Level 3 gets 400 hours.
  • Level 12 drops significantly to 120-140 hours per month.
  • People living alone or vulnerable households can get additional benefits for special reasons.
  • There can be a gap between the hours people actually need and the hours given based on their level.

📕 Structural Problems with the Assessment System

• The assessor's personal judgment greatly affects results. Main problems include:

  • The same person with disabilities can get different levels depending on which assessor they meet.
  • Assessment results can differ from usual abilities based on condition or environment on assessment day.
  • For people with developmental disabilities who have trouble communicating, their real situation isn't properly understood.
  • Assessment standards can differ based on the assessor's expertise or experience level.
  • It's hard to understand a person's overall life situation in a short assessment time (usually 1-2 hours).

• Assessment items don't properly reflect real life abilities. Main limitations include:

  • Assessments focus mainly on physical functions, so cognitive and emotional difficulties are undervalued.
  • Standardized questionnaires can't capture the special situations of individual people with disabilities.
  • Opinions from guardians or personal assistants aren't officially included.
  • The support hours assigned by level don't match the hours actually needed in daily life.
  • Characteristics based on disability type (physical disability, developmental disability, mental disability, etc.) aren't fully considered.

💡 Main Issues with Personal Assistant Services Assessments

1. Assessment differences: Same conditions but different levels based on assessor or region
2. Unclear evaluation: Not clear what standards decide the level
3. Lack of input from people affected: Opinions from people with disabilities, families, and personal assistants aren't properly included
4. Re-assessment burden: Must go through complex appeal procedures to fix unfair results
5. Threat to survival: Not enough support hours from low levels threatens basic living

3️⃣ Group Complaint Case and Ways to Improve the System

✅ Meaning and Results of the 314-Person Group Complaint

• More than half received higher levels. Main achievements include:

  • Out of 314 people, 162 had their levels raised through re-assessment.
  • This proves how poorly the initial assessments were done.
  • It confirmed that many people with disabilities were unfairly given low levels.
  • It showed that group complaints can lead to system improvements.
  • However, it also revealed that many people with disabilities give up because appeal procedures are complex and take a long time.

• The need for structural improvements was confirmed. Main points include:

  • It became clear this is a system problem, not just individual cases.
  • Making the assessment process more transparent and fair is urgent.
  • Ways to guarantee participation from people with disabilities and experts are needed.
  • Appeal procedures need to be simplified and made more accessible.
  • The government recognized this problem and started discussing ways to improve the system.

✅ Practical Ways to Improve the System

• Transparency and expertise in the assessment process must be strengthened. Main improvements include:

  • Assessor training must be strengthened and they should have expertise for each disability type.
  • Private experts or disability organization representatives should be allowed to accompany assessments.
  • A system is needed to officially include opinion letters from families or personal assistants.
  • Assessment processes should be recorded or documented in detail so they can be verified later.
  • Documents that specifically explain the reasons for level decisions should be required.

• Assessment standards and support systems should be improved to match real life. Main directions include:

  • Physical functions should be balanced with cognitive, emotional, and social aspects in evaluations.
  • Detailed assessment tools that reflect characteristics of each disability type should be developed.
  • Instead of fixed support hours by level, customized support based on individual real needs is required.
  • Regular re-evaluations should flexibly respond to changing situations.
  • Appeal procedures should be simplified, and temporary support increases should be considered until results come out.

4️⃣ Related Terms

🔎 Act on Activity Assistance for Persons with Disabilities

• This is the key law that provides the legal basis for Personal Assistant Services.
  • The Act on Activity Assistance for Persons with Disabilities took effect in January 2011 to support independent living for people with severe disabilities and reduce family burdens. This law aims to guarantee the right of people with disabilities to live equally with others in their communities, not in facilities.
  • Main contents of the law include: First, it targets people with severe disabilities aged 6 to 64 who are registered under the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities Act and meet certain standards. Second, it defines types and contents of activity support benefits (physical activities, household activities, social activities, home bathing, home nursing, etc.). Third, it specifies benefit decision procedures through comprehensive assessment. Fourth, it covers matters related to qualifications, education, and improved treatment of personal assistants.
  • This law is a basic law that guarantees dignified living for people with disabilities, but various problems continue to be raised in actual operation, including fairness of level calculation, appropriateness of support hours, and treatment of personal assistants.

🔎 Comprehensive Assessment

• This is an assessment that evaluates the functional status and needs of people with disabilities to decide activity support levels.
  • Comprehensive assessment is a system introduced in July 2019 along with the abolition of the disability grade system. It comprehensively evaluates daily living performance abilities, cognitive and behavioral characteristics, social activities, and household environment of people with disabilities. It was introduced after criticism that the existing medical disability grades (levels 1-6) didn't reflect actual living abilities.
  • Main assessment items of comprehensive assessment include: First, 11 items of activities of daily living (eating, dressing, washing, bathing, using the toilet, etc.). Second, 6 items of instrumental activities of daily living (using telephone, shopping, preparing food, housework, managing money, etc.). Third, 14 items examining cognitive and behavioral characteristics (memory, violence, hallucinations, etc.). Fourth, 8 items checking social activities (mobility, communication, work activities, etc.).
  • The assessment is conducted by Ministry of Health and Welfare officials or National Pension Service employees, and scores for each item are added up to divide into levels 1-15. However, there are limitations because actual living abilities and assessment results can differ due to various factors like condition on assessment day, assessor judgment, and communication abilities.

🔎 Personal Assistant

• This is welfare personnel who directly assist with daily life for people with disabilities.
  • A personal assistant is someone who provides activity support benefits for people with disabilities. They are care workers who visit homes of people with disabilities to support physical activities, household activities, and social activities. They are similar to care workers but different in that they serve people with disabilities rather than elderly people.
  • To become a personal assistant, one must complete a standard education program of 50 hours total - 40 hours of theory and 10 hours of practice - at an educational institution designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Education content includes disability rights and independent living, activity support system, communication skills, household and daily life support, safety management, etc.
  • The role of personal assistants is very important, but their treatment is poor. Hourly wages are around 15,000 won, and job security is low. Also, because they work closely one-on-one with people with disabilities, emotional labor and physical burden are large. Improving expertise and treatment of personal assistants is an essential task for raising the quality of Personal Assistant Services.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What should I do if I think my assessment results are unfair?

A: You can request re-assessment through the appeal system, and there are also legal remedies.

• If you disagree with assessment results, you can raise the issue through several procedures. First, you can file an appeal with your city, county, or district office within 90 days of receiving results. When you file an appeal, re-assessment happens with a different assessor. Second, if you're still unhappy with re-assessment results, you can request administrative adjudication. This is filed with the city or provincial administrative adjudication committee, and you receive a legal judgment on the administrative decision. Third, if administrative adjudication results are unsatisfactory, you can file an administrative lawsuit.
• There are helpful methods when filing appeals. It's good to submit opinion letters together from family or personal assistants who know the person with disabilities' life well. Medical diagnosis or opinion letters from medical institutions are also important materials. Getting help from disability welfare centers or disability organizations makes procedures easier. You can also receive free legal consultation and support from legal aid organizations. It's important not to give up alone and actively seek help from those around you.

Q: How do I apply for Personal Assistant Services for the first time?

A: You can apply at your local community center, and the procedure is relatively simple.

• The application procedure for Personal Assistant Services is as follows. First, you can visit your local community center or apply by phone. If you have difficulty, a family member or representative can apply. Documents needed for application are the application form, ID, and disability registration card (or disability certificate). Second, within one month of application, the National Pension Service conducts a comprehensive assessment. An assessor visits the home and conducts various questions and evaluations for 1-2 hours. Third, based on assessment results, the city, county, or district decides eligibility and level.
• Once the level is decided, you can establish an activity support use plan, choose an activity support agency, and sign a contract to use services. Personal fees vary from exemption to a maximum of 20% based on household income level. Basic livelihood security recipients and near-poor groups have no personal fees. From application to service start usually takes about 2 months, so it's good to apply early if needed.

Q: Can I still receive Personal Assistant Services after age 65?

A: In principle, it's for people under 65, but if you were already using it, you can continue after 65.

• Personal Assistant Services in principle targets people with severe disabilities aged 6 to 64. After age 65, it's designed to use the Long-Term Care Insurance for the Elderly system. However, people with disabilities who were using Personal Assistant Services before age 65 can continue receiving services after 65. However, you cannot receive both Long-Term Care Insurance benefits and must choose one.
• In reality, many people with disabilities continue using Personal Assistant Services after age 65. Because Long-Term Care Insurance mainly targets functional decline due to old age, personal assistant services that understand disability characteristics well are often more suitable. Also, many want to maintain relationships with personal assistants they've worked with for a long time. The government recognizes this problem and is discussing system improvements for the age 65 transition issue.

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