New Criteria for the Poor Peoples Card: Cutting Benefits for Dutiful Children – Targeted Help or Added Burden on the Middle Class?

A heated online controversy quickly emerged after the government started registration and revised the screening criteria for the 'State Welfare Card,' or 'Poor People's Card,' in its new round. One heavily criticized criterion is the disqualification of elderly people whose children use them as tax deduction dependents.

This issue has caused considerable worry among salaried workers and their families, who feel pressured by the system and fear they might end up losing out in both directions.

Exploring the government's assumption: If someone has caregivers, the state does not need to provide support?

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yuttana Srisawat, founder of iTAX and deputy dean of the Faculty of Law at Siam University, told the Thairath Online special news team that the government's intention in linking tax criteria is from a fiscal discipline perspective. It is an attempt to screen recipients so that welfare budgets reach truly needy individuals, as studies have found many ineligible people have fraudulently claimed benefits.

Thus, the government assumes that if a parent’s child claims a tax deduction for supporting them, that parent already "has someone to care for them," so the state need not provide additional support, allowing funds to be redirected to those truly without caregivers.

Comparing the numbers: "Tax deduction" versus "Poor People's Card" – which is more beneficial?

Considering a rough calculation from the perspective of a lower- to middle-income salaried worker, suppose the child earns 30,000 baht per month (360,000 baht annually), placing them in the lowest 5% tax bracket.

On the tax deduction side, claiming one parent as a dependent (deduction of 30,000 baht) saves the child only 1,500 baht per year in taxes (about 125 baht per month).

By contrast, the State Welfare Card provides parents with monthly assistance for water, electricity, consumer goods, and travel expenses, totaling several thousand baht per month.

Even if the child is wealthy enough to pay the highest tax rate of 30-35%, the benefits from the 'Poor People's Card' still exceed the tax deduction savings. Many netizens lamented, "If I had known this, I would not have claimed the tax deduction to preserve the welfare card benefits for my parents."

A pitfall overlooked by the government: "A 30,000 baht salary in the capital does not mean wealth."

Experts have expressed that this criterion may be "too strict and abrupt" because it does not consider the deeper realities of the economic structure.

1. The cost of living for someone earning 30,000 baht in Bangkok, while supporting parents in the provinces, is very challenging. Saving just over a hundred baht a month in tax does not mean they have the capacity to stop state support for their parents.
2. A hidden family problem: In practice, children often list their parents as dependents for tax deductions without the parents’ knowledge (as the system does not require consent forms in online submissions). When parents later register for the welfare card and are disqualified, it can cause family conflicts and estrangement.

Public complaints are the key to adjusting criteria.

Although the government's original intent was to plug fiscal leaks, the sudden announcement of criteria may cause more harm than good. Citizens now seek not only clear criteria but also "explanations and more flexible standards," such as including income ceilings for children, rather than outright disqualification just because a tax deduction was claimed.

Amid social media criticism, experts advise that "the public should voice their concerns loudly," as the government currently uses social listening to gather feedback. If citizens’ reasons are weighty and reflect real hardship, it is believed that after this registration round ends, the government will review and establish more detailed and fairer criteria for "dutiful children."