Saving every day, hoping to have a support in old age
At 82 years old, Ms. Duong Thi Chinh, in Quang Phu ward, Da Nang city, still holds a stack of lottery tickets sitting on Nguyen Chi Thanh street, Ban Thach ward, Da Nang to invite guests every day.
He has been selling lottery tickets for 17 years. When he was healthy, he traveled all over the streets; now his legs are weak, his health has declined, and he can only sit in one place waiting for passersby.
Each day, about 80 tickets are sold, the profit is 1,200 VND per ticket, which is less than 100,000 VND if sold out. On rainy and windy days, unsold tickets have to be returned to agents, and that income is even less.
Elderly workers with precarious incomes like Mr. Chinh show the social security gap of the informal labor sector: while there is strength, there is income, when health declines, the source of livelihood also shrinks.
Therefore, the information that Da Nang supports additional voluntary social insurance (BHXH) contributions is bringing joy to many low-income people.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, in Huong Tra ward, is a freelance worker from a near-poor household. Her monthly income is just enough to cover living expenses, but for more than 3 years, she has still tried to save money to participate in voluntary social insurance with the desire to have a pension in the future.
Hearing that the city supports additional voluntary social insurance contributions, I am very happy and excited. Working as a freelancer, income is unstable, so reducing a part of monthly expenses is very meaningful. Later, having a pension and health insurance card will also make my old age more peaceful," Ms. Huong shared.
Ms. Huong's joy is even clearer when calculating both support from the Central Government and Da Nang City.
In 2026, the lowest income level used as a basis for voluntary social insurance contributions is still 1.5 million VND/month. With a contribution rate of 22%, the lowest contribution level is 330,000 VND/month.
According to Decree 159/2025/ND-CP, the State budget supports 50% of the contribution level for poor households and people living in island communes and special zones; 40% for near-poor households; 30% for ethnic minorities and 20% for other subjects.
Poor households are supported up to 80% of the contribution level
From August 10, Resolution 84/NQ-HDND of the Da Nang City People's Council officially took effect: Poor households are additionally supported by 30%; near-poor households, people living in island communes, special zones and ethnic minorities are additionally supported by 25%; other participants are additionally supported by 15%. The policy is implemented until the end of 2030.
Thus, if participating at a minimum contribution level of 330,000 VND/month, poor households are supported with a total of 80%, equivalent to 264,000 VND and only have to pay 66,000 VND/month themselves.
Near-poor households like Ms. Huong are supported by the Central Government with 132,000 VND, and the city supports an additional 82,500 VND, totaling 21,4500 VND. The amount she has to pay herself is still 115,500 VND/month, equivalent to 35% of the minimum contribution level.
People living in island communes and special zones are supported with a total of 75%, and still pay 82,500 VND/month; ethnic minorities are supported with 55%, and still pay 148,500 VND; other groups are supported with a total of 35%, and still pay 214,500 VND. This calculation method applies when people choose the minimum income contribution level in 2026.
This is a significant reduction for those who have to calculate each expense item such as lottery ticket sellers, small traders, farmers, seasonal workers or households in difficult circumstances.
According to current regulations, voluntary social insurance participants when reaching retirement age and having 15 years or more of social insurance contributions will be eligible for pension benefits. Therefore, the support of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of VND per month is not only a reduction in immediate expenses, but more importantly, it helps low-income people have the ability to maintain a sufficiently long contribution process.
Vice Chairman of Da Nang City People's Committee Nguyen Thi Anh Thi said that the policy was issued from the reality that the social insurance coverage rate is still low, especially among freelance workers, small traders and people with unstable incomes.
The city's additional contribution support not only reduces the immediate burden, but more importantly, creates conditions for people to maintain voluntary social insurance for a long time, gradually having pensions, health insurance and social security support points when they get old.
According to Da Nang City Social Insurance, as of mid-2026, the whole city has 74,361 people participating in voluntary social insurance, accounting for about 12.43% of the total of more than 598,000 people participating in social insurance in the area.
