The opening of registration and eligibility verification for the new round of the "State Welfare Card" from 4 to 21 June 2026 immediately became a hot topic after the Ministry of Finance announced screening criteria to exclude "non-genuine poor" from the system. One of the most criticized conditions is that "individuals whose names are used to claim tax deductions as father, mother, spouse, or child will be immediately disqualified."
This condition means that if a child claims a tax deduction for supporting parents aged 60 or older, those parents will lose their right to receive state welfare payments through the poor card. This has led to immediate public questions about whether this criterion is "appropriate" and, financially, which option is "more worthwhile": allowing children to claim tax deductions or letting parents receive benefits through the state welfare card?
Regarding appropriateness, there are two contrasting views that reflect fundamentally different philosophies.
The government's perspective (policy screening): The government views the intent of the State Welfare Card as to assist truly vulnerable groups without support. If children have taxable income and choose to support their parents (under tax conditions), this indicates that the family structure still has the capacity for mutual support. Therefore, the government wants to redirect budget to help those who are truly destitute and without caretakers.
The public perspective (social reality): Many consider this criterion "too strict" because children with taxable income just above the minimum threshold (for example, earning 20,000-30,000 baht per month) are not wealthy. The 30,000 baht tax deduction is a legal right to ease the burden of the middle class. Disqualifying parents thus seems like "punishing" children who dutifully try to care for their elderly parents amid the high cost of living in 2026.
To clarify, let's calculate and compare the annual financial benefits (estimating the average value of the State Welfare Card at about 300 - 500 baht per month, including various discounts, roughly totaling 4,000 - 6,000 baht per year).
Under tax law, children can claim a 30,000 baht deduction per parent, but the actual tax savings depend on the child’s tax bracket as follows:
Child’s tax bracket (net income) | Tax rate | Tax savings for child (baht/year) | Value of parents’ State Welfare Card (baht/year) | Summary of monetary worth |
Income not exceeding 150,000 baht | 0% | 0 baht | Approximately 4,000 - 6,000 baht | ❌ Not worthwhile: Children gain no tax benefit but parents lose welfare benefits for nothing |
150,001 - 300,000 baht | 5% | 1,500 baht | Approximately 4,000 - 6,000 baht | ❌ Not worthwhile: Parents receive more from welfare card than children save in tax |
300,001 - 500,000 baht | 10% | 3,000 baht | Approximately 4,000 - 6,000 baht | ⚠️ Borderline: Welfare card value may still be slightly higher or roughly equal |
500,001 - 750,000 baht | 15% | 4,500 baht | Approximately 4,000 - 6,000 baht | ⚖️ Even: Monetary values are very close |
750,001 - 1,000,000 baht and above | 20% - 35% | 6,000 - 10,500 baht | Approximately 4,000 - 6,000 baht | Worthwhile: Children save significantly more in tax than parents receive in welfare payments |
Statistical summary: For children with low to moderate income (tax bracket 0% - 10%), allowing parents to keep the State Welfare Card results in higher total family income. For higher-earning children (tax bracket 20% or more), choosing tax deductions yields greater financial benefit for the family.
The government's new 2026 criteria help reduce budget leakage and screen out "non-genuine poor" to some extent, but from another angle, they force lower-middle-class families to choose between children's tax deduction rights and monthly subsistence payments for elderly parents.
Ultimately, value is not just about "numbers" but which amount reaches those who truly need it and offers peace of mind. Each family must carefully calculate tax figures together before the eligibility confirmation deadline on 21 June.