Illustrative image (internet)

In Vietnam, social policies have been studied and considered in narrow and broad scopes. In the narrow scope, social policies are construed as those applicable to groups of social labor, known as “policy beneficiaries”. These include policies for people with meritorious services to the revolution; employment policies; income policies; national poverty reduction policies; social insurance policies; policies in support of people facing extremely difficult circumstances; and policies on assurance of basic social services for the people, and social policy beneficiaries who are members of poor  households, households meeting with extreme difficulties, ethnic minority households, families with meritorious services to the revolution, invalids, diseased soldiers, and families with members suffering orange agent effects, etc. In the broad scope, social policies cover also those applicable to people of different strata, such as policies for workers, farmers, youths, intellectuals, etc.
part from regulations on regular preferential subsidy, many other policies have also been issued and realised such as the preferential policy on housing, preferential policy on education and training, policy on heathcare, preferential loans from state fund for production development, support for enterprises owned by war invalids, sick soldiers, and people with meritorious services to the revolution, etc., creating favourable conditions for their children to work and earn their living. The system of non-business facilities which caters for war invalids, martyrs’ relatives, and people with meritorious services to the revolution includes nursing centres for war invalids and sick soldiers and orthopedic centres. These facilities are operating effectively. Levels, branches, and localities actively address emerging and existing issues, which include authenticating and recognising people entitled to preferential policies, searching and collecting martyrs’ remains, identifying martyrs’ remains through appraisal of DNA evidence.
the State has allocated budgets to provide subsidies for people with meritorious services to the revolution. The financial resource for preferential policies every year is adjusted on the basis of the socio-economic situation of the country and financial capability. Therefore, the living standard of people with meritorious services to the revolution is ceaselessly enhanced.
In recent years, thanks to attention of party committees at all levels and support of ministries, branches, unions, and people both at home and abroad, programmes such as “Gratitude Fund,” “House of Gratitude,” “Garden of Gratitude,” “Saving Books of Gratitude,” care for martyrs’ elderly, weak, lonely parents and martyrs’ orphaned children as well as heroic Vietnamese mothers, etc., have been implemented extensively, contributing to improving material, spiritual life of war invalids, sick soldiers, martyrs’ relatives, and people with meritorious services to the revolution. These responsible, sentimental activities have truly become the masses’ movements and a beautiful cultural feature, which make an important contribution to reinforcing and strengthening the great national unity bloc, promoting patriotism, inspiring and enriching humane values of Vietnamese people.
Over the past years, dealing with unresolved files of people with meritorious services to the revolution has been regarded as one of the most important tasks of the Labour, War Invalids, and Social Affairs. Having won the Government’s approval in principle, the Minister of Labour, War Invalids, and Social Affairs has promulgated the Decision No. 408/QD-LDTBXH, dated 20 March 2017 on the Procedure for Dealing with Unresolved Files. This is a major breakthrough in dealing with unresolved files in provinces and cities. Consequently, unresolved files nationwide have been reviewed and settled. The rest of these files did not satisfy conditions and was explained satisfactorily. Currently, according to reports released by provinces and cities under the direct leadership of the central government, basically, there are few unresolved files and most of them are under review according to expanded criteria.

Illustrative image (internet)

It can be affirmed that, in recent years, preferential policies and regulations on people with meritorious services to the revolution have been carried out timely and in accordance with the Party’s guidelines and State law by levels, branches, socio-political organisations, which helps improve the material, spiritual life of people with meritorious services to the revolution, contributes to preserving socio-political stability, and displays fine traditions of the nation. The movement: “All people care for families of war invalids, fallen soldiers, and people with meritorious services to the revolution” and support for the “Gratitude Fund” are on the increase and concurred by society.

To improve policies on people with meritorious services to the revolution and contribute to successful implementation of gratitude work require concentrating on the following measures:

First, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive review of existing and emerging issues related to preferential policies towards people with meritorious services to the revolution. This will lay the foundation for adjusting, supplementing, and improving preferential polices and regulations on people with meritorious services to the revolution, ensuring suitability for socio-economic conditions of the country in each period.

Second, more effort should be put into leading and directing implementation of the Party’s and State’s policies on people with meritorious services to the revolution, striving to make the living standards of all households of people with meritorious services to the revolution higher than the average rates in their residential areas by 2025. Priorities are given to provision of financial support for building and repairing houses of households of people with meritorious services to the revolution.

Third, continuing to detect, set up, and handle files on people with meritorious services to the revolution during the wars. There needs to focus efforts on identifying martyrs’ remains lack of information by positive methodology and analysis of DNA samples; successfully repair and upgrade cemeteries and works in commemoration of martyrs.

Fourth, it is necessary to strengthen collaboration with relevant commissions and ministries as well as people’s committees of provinces and cities under direct leadership of the central governement to regularly inspect implementation of preferential policies towards people with meritorious services to the revolution in order to timely address shortcomings and weaknesses in this task.

Fifth, the propagation of the Party’s and State’s guidelines and preferential policies towards people with meritorious services to the revolution and gratitude movement among cadres, party members, and people from various walks of life should be enhanced with a view to tapping into patriotic tradition of the country and achievements of the work regarding people with meritorious services to the revolution.

People with meritorious services to the revolution include:

- People who were active in the revolution before January 1, 1945;

- People who were active in the revolution from January 1, 1945, to the day of the August revolution, 1945;

- Martyrs;

- Vietnamese heroic Mother;

- Heroes of the People's Armed Forces;

- Hero of Labor in the period of resistance;

- Invalids, including Class B invalids recognized before December 31, 1993; policy beneficiaries such as war invalids;

- Sick soldiers;

- Resistance activists infected with toxic chemicals;

- People who are active in the revolution, resistance war, defense of the Fatherland, or perform international obligations are imprisoned or exiled by the enemy;

- People who are active in the resistance war for national liberation, defense of the Fatherland, and international obligations;

- People with meritorious services to the revolution.

(Clause 1, Article 3 of the Ordinance on incentives for people with meritorious services to the revolution 2020)

2. The benefits for people with meritorious services to the revolution and relatives of people with meritorious services to the revolution in Vietnam
Depending on each subject, people with meritorious services to the revolution and relatives of people with meritorious services to the revolution are entitled to the following benefits:

- Monthly allowance, monthly allowance, one-time allowance;

- Other incentives include:

+ Health insurance;

+ Nursing to restore health;

+ Provide necessary aids, orthopedic tools, means, and equipment for rehabilitation as specified by orthopedic and functional rehabilitation establishments in the labor - war invalids and social sectors or from a hospital at the provincial level or higher;

+ Priority in enrollment and job creation;

+ Support to study up to university level at educational institutions under the national education system;

+ Support for housing improvement based on merits and circumstances of each person or when having housing difficulties;

+ Exemption or reduction of the land use levy when being allocated residential land by the State, changing the land use purpose to residential land, and recognizing the right to use residential land, when purchasing houses owned by the State;

+ Prioritizing allocation or lease of land, water surface, and sea surface; prioritizing forest protection and development contracts;

+ Preferential loans for production and business;

+ Tax exemption or reduction as prescribed by law.

(Article 5 of the Ordinance on incentives for people with meritorious services to the revolution 2020)

3. Principles of implementing policies and preferential regimes for people with meritorious services to the revolution and their relatives in Vietnam
- Taking care of the health, material, and spiritual lives of people with meritorious services to the revolution and the relatives of people with meritorious services to the revolution is the responsibility of the State and society. The State encourages organizations and individuals to pay attention to, help implement, and provide preferential regimes for people with meritorious services to the revolution.

- The preferential regime for people with meritorious services to the revolution and relatives of people with meritorious services to the revolution must be determined and adjusted to suit the country's socio-economic conditions in each period; ensure the standard of living of people with meritorious services to the revolution is equal to or higher than the average level of the residential community.

- People with meritorious services to the revolution of many subjects are entitled to subsidies and allowances of many subjects; for the service worker allowance and the preferential regime specified in Clause 2, Article 5 of the Ordinance on Incentives for People with Meritorious Services to the Revolution 2020, only the highest level of one preferential regime shall be enjoyed.

- If a person with meritorious services to the revolution, or relatives of people with meritorious services to the revolution specified in Clause 12, Article 16, and Clause 1, Article 31 of the Ordinance on incentives for people with meritorious services to the revolution 2020, die, the person or organization performing the funeral is entitled to a funeral allowance at the rate prescribed by the law on social insurance. In the case of many subjects, only one funeral allowance shall be enjoyed.

In case the subjects specified in this Clause are also subject to the funeral allowance according to the provisions of the law on social insurance, they shall enjoy the funeral allowance according to the provisions of the law on social insurance; in case they are simultaneously entitled to the funeral regime guaranteed by the state budget according to the provisions of other legal documents, they shall enjoy a funeral regime at the highest level.

- If a person with meritorious services to the revolution dies and their relatives receive a monthly survivorship allowance according to the provisions of the Ordinance on Incentives for People with meritorious services to the Revolution 2020, the relatives of the person with meritorious services to the revolution are entitled to a monthly survivorship allowance as follows:

+ Relatives of two or more people with meritorious services to the revolution are entitled to a maximum of two monthly survivorship allowances, except for the case specified at Point a, Clause 3, Article 16 of the Ordinance on incentives for people with meritorious services to the revolution 2020;

+ Relatives of a martyr who are concurrently relatives of two or more people with meritorious services to the revolution are entitled to a monthly survivorship allowance of a martyr and a monthly survivorship allowance of a person with meritorious services to the revolution;

+ Relatives of two or more martyrs and concurrently related people with meritorious services to the revolution are entitled to a monthly survivorship allowance for relatives of martyrs as prescribed at Point a, Clause 3, Article 16 of the Ordinance on incentives for people with meritorious services to the revolution 2020;

+ Relatives of people with meritorious services to the revolution and those with meritorious services in two or more categories, shall be entitled to a monthly survivorship allowance for one of them;

+ Children of people with meritorious services to the revolution are at least 18 years old if they have received a monthly survivorship allowance while studying at a vocational education and training institution, a higher education institution, or are receiving a monthly survivorship allowance. If he/she quits school or is forced to drop out, he/she is not entitled to the monthly survivorship allowance.

- Relatives of people with meritorious services to the revolution who are entitled to an additional monthly survivorship allowance are entitled to a monthly maintenance survivorship allowance.

(Article 6 of the Ordinance on incentives for people with meritorious services to the revolution 2020)