'Dementia money' of 154 trillion won... National Pension Service to manage

[空山 내려놓음 마음학교장]

CBS Nocut News Reporter Kim Jeong-rok, April 21, 2026 12:03
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Basic pension recipients for elderly individuals with dementia or mild cognitive impairment... The consignment cap is 1 billion won.
Estimated assets of dementia patients aged 65 or older amount to 154 trillion won... Hopes for prevention of economic abuse.

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Provided by the Ministry of Health and Welfare

A system will begin where the state takes over the property of elderly individuals who have difficulty managing their assets independently due to dementia or mild cognitive impairment.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 21st that it will launch the 'Dementia Relief Property Management Service Pilot Project' starting on the 22nd. This is a public trust-based property management support program where the National Pension Service, as a public trustee, transparently manages and protects the assets of individuals.


The background for introducing the project is the growing economic harm issues surrounding dementia patients. According to the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, the estimated assets held by dementia patients aged 65 or older in Korea amounted to approximately 154 trillion won as of 2023.

Dementia patients with impaired judgment are vulnerable to fraud and property extortion, and cases of economic abuse, where the property of nursing home residents is arbitrarily used, are also increasing.

The main target is elderly individuals receiving basic pensions who have difficulty managing their assets or are expected to have difficulties due to dementia or mild cognitive impairment. Seniors aged 65 or older who do not receive the basic pension can also use the service, but in this case, they must pay an annual fee of 0.5% of the entrusted property.

Exceptions are available for free support if you are a patient with early-onset dementia under the age of 65 and are classified as a near-poverty or a recipient of basic livelihood security. Eligible assets are limited to cash assets such as cash, lease deposit refund bonds, and reverse mortgages, with a maximum limit of 1 billion won.


The service usage process proceeds in the following order: application/request → reception/consultation → planning/contract → management/expenditure → service connection → inspection/supervision. You or your family can apply for the service by visiting the corporation's branch office in person or by requesting a dementia relief center or nursing facility.

The corporation establishes individual financial support plans and conducts regular inspections by visiting eligible individuals at least once every six months. If any abnormal signs are detected, surprise inspections will also be conducted.

Service consultations are available at the seven regional headquarters of the corporation, including those in northern Seoul, southern Seoul, Gyeongin, Daejeon Sejong, Gwangju, Daegu, and Busan. Inquiries can be made to the National Pension Service or the Dementia Counseling Call Center.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to transition to a full-scale project in 2028 after a two-year review period, starting with a pilot project this year. In the second half of this year, we will begin pilot project eval‎uations and also push for revisions to the Dementia Management Act to introduce the main project for the Dementia Relief Property Management Service.

Im Eul-gi, Director of Senior Citizen Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "We will do our best to establish the system so that seniors can fully use their assets for a safe and healthy retirement."

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