China has passed a fundamental new law to expand its social safety net, providing a robust legal framework for vulnerable groups and extending support to struggling households previously at risk of slipping through the cracks.

The Social Assistance Law, adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Thursday, provides a powerful legal foundation for the high-quality development of social aid programs, ensuring people can fairly benefit from economic growth, said Gao Lina, deputy head of the social law office at the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission.

"Social assistance is the ultimate safety net and a crucial pillar of the social security system, vital for meeting the basic living needs of those in difficulty," Gao said. "The adoption of the law reflects a people-centered approach, aiming to streamline social assistance procedures and make it easier for those in need to access support, thereby enhancing and sustaining their sense of gain, happiness and security."

Prior to the new law's adoption, social assistance was ring-fenced around strict definitions of extreme hardship or minimum living allowances. The new law expands coverage to include groups that were previously vulnerable to not qualifying due to conditions on the margins.

Taking effect on July 1, the law comprises 78 articles across seven chapters. It targets individuals who are unable to work, have no income and lack caregivers, or whose legal caregivers cannot provide care, including the elderly, children and people with disabilities. It specifies that assistance will include basic living necessities, essential nursing services, medical care and burial services.

The law also outlines the responsibilities of departments including civil affairs, education, human resources, housing, emergency management and healthcare security, along with township governments and community organizations. It calls for assistance to be delivered in line with principles of transparency, equity, justice, accessibility and timeliness.

Applicants for social assistance are required to truthfully disclose information on cohabiting family members, household income, assets and essential expenditures. Authorities, meanwhile, must take effective measures to protect personal data security.

China has long prioritized social assistance legislation. In the 1990s and again in 2003, the NPC Standing Committee placed related legislation on its agenda. Given the wide range of assistance programs and the involvement of multiple departments, the State Council, China's Cabinet, issued interim measures for social assistance in 2014.

"These interim regulations provided valuable experience for drafting the social assistance law," Gao said, noting that prior to its adoption, provisions related to social security had already been incorporated into laws concerning people with disabilities, women, the elderly, emergency response and rural vitalization.

She stressed the importance of implementation, saying that efforts will be made to promote the law so the public can better understand and use it.

Given the broad scope of social assistance, Gao encouraged greater participation from social organizations and called for stronger interdepartmental coordination, including improved sharing of financial information on recipients, to ensure effective implementation of the law.