To concretise Government Decree No. 176 dated June 30, 2025, on social pension allowances, Ho Chi Minh City applies a monthly social pension allowance of 650,000 VND per person for those aged 75 and above.
The City pays higher social pension allowances than the national level
This allowance, higher than the 500,000 VND per person per month stipulated in Decree 176, has brought joy and satisfaction to most beneficiaries. According to the municipal People’s Committee, the increase in social pension and welfare allowances helps improve the living conditions of the target groups while matching the city’s economic capacity. The total annual budget for implementing this policy exceeds 1.522 trillion VND, of which over 351 billion VND is the additional amount compared with the national regulation.
Accordingly, city residents aged 75 and above who do not receive pensions or monthly social insurance benefits, or who currently receive less than 650,000 VND, are entitled to this allowance. For poor or near-poor households, the eligibility age starts at 70. The entire funding comes from the city budget.
Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, 79, a resident of Hamlet 58, Nha Be Commune, emotionally said, “Since September, the city has added another 150,000 VND, making it 650,000 VND per month for the elderly like me. I’m truly happy. With my children’s small help, I now feel like I have a pension and don’t have to depend entirely on them.” According to local registration data, Nha Be Commune currently has 504 elderly residents aged 75 and above receiving this allowance because they do not receive pensions or social insurance benefits.
Nguyen Tuan Tai, Vice Chair of the Nha Be Commune People’s Committee, said that the commune has issued decisions to pay social pension allowances based on citizens’ registration, ensuring timely support in line with the city’s general directive. Similarly, Cho Quan Ward has 477 elderly beneficiaries. The ward’s notice states that elderly residents temporarily living in Ho Chi Minh City who have not yet received support elsewhere will be eligible for the allowance.
According to Tran Dung Ha, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance, under the 2024 Law on Social Insurance, recipients of social pension allowances are also entitled to state-funded health insurance and funeral cost support. Moreover, the city’s higher-level support compared to the national regulation is considered a significant humanitarian step towards ensuring social security for elderly people who are no longer able to work and who lack pensions or social insurance benefits.
Free medical examination and treatment for the elderly
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has identified the city’s rapidly ageing population as one of the fastest in Viet Nam. The city now has about 1.7 million elderly residents, accounting for over 12% of its population, and the rate continues to rise. This trend presents a collective challenge in implementing health care policies for older adults and ensuring social welfare.
Since mid-2023, the municipal People’s Committee has issued a plan for elderly health care and early detection of non-communicable diseases. The goal is that by the end of 2025, 80% of elderly citizens will have annual health check-ups and personal health records established.
At a recent community health session co-organised by Thong Nhat Hospital and Tan Son Nhat Ward People’s Committee, hundreds of elderly participants learned for the first time about common and dangerous health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and memory decline.
Nguyen Thanh Phuong, 64, said, “Among older people, high blood pressure is very common. The medical staff provided useful guidance, helping me better understand appropriate lifestyle and diet choices.”

Associate Professor, Doctor Le Dinh Thanh, Director of Thong Nhat Hospital, noted that about 50–80% of people aged 60 and above suffer from hypertension—one of the main risk factors for stroke, heart attack, and heart failure. Hypertension is the most common chronic disease among the elderly, yet it is often undiagnosed due to its subtle symptoms.
Doctor Nguyen Anh Dung, Deputy Director of the city’s Department of Health, emphasised, “Safeguarding citizens’ health is our mission, aiming for every resident to have a health check-up at least once a year and to establish a personal health data record. We will continue expanding elderly health examinations across all areas after the city’s administrative merger, ensuring each citizen is examined at least once a year.”
To date, Ho Chi Minh City has provided health check-ups for more than 526,000 elderly residents, identifying nearly 50,000 previously undiagnosed hypertension cases. This highlights the importance of regular screening and underscores the urgent need for effective management and treatment of chronic, non-communicable diseases in line with standards set by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization.