To support workers affected by occupational accidents and their families in their post-accident lives, the Labor Occupational Accident Insurance and Protection Act provides the occupational accident permanent disability subsidy, death subsidy, and permanent disability care subsidy for uninsured workers who are not subject to compulsory enrollment and who suffer moderate or more severe disability or death due to an occupational injury, thereby helping maintain basic living needs after the accident.
The Ministry of Labor (MOL) stated that since the Labor Occupational Accident Insurance and Protection Act (hereinafter the Occupational Accident Insurance Act) took effect in May 2022, it has established a comprehensive occupational accident protection mechanism. In addition to persons enrolled in accordance with the law being entitled to insurance benefits, workers who are not subject to compulsory enrollment and are uninsured may apply to the Bureau of Labor Insurance (BLI) for permanent disability subsidy, death subsidy, and permanent disability care subsidy if they suffer moderate or more severe disability or death due to an occupational injury.
The MOL gave an example: after retirement, Mr. Wang chose to return to his former line of work and take on freelance crane hoisting jobs to cover his living expenses. One day while working, the crane boom accidentally came into contact with an overhead high-voltage power line, causing him to suffer an electric shock. He was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. After treatment, Mr. Wang was diagnosed by a physician with hypoxic encephalopathy and was assessed as having Disability Severity Level 1: “permanently unable to work and requiring assistance with activities of daily living.” Afterward, Mr. Wang’s family went to a BLI local office to inquire about their rights related to insurance benefits. After the records were checked, it was found that Mr. Wang had not enrolled in occupational accident insurance and therefore could not claim occupational accident insurance benefits. The BLI promptly reminded the family that Mr. Wang could still apply for the occupational accident permanent disability subsidy and permanent disability care subsidy for uninsured workers in accordance with Article 81 of the Occupational Accident Insurance Act, and could still receive protection. With the assistance of the BLI, Mr. Wang successfully received a permanent disability subsidy of over NT$1.76 million, as well as a monthly permanent disability care subsidy of NT$13,083 for a subsidy period of up to three years, helping relieve his urgent financial needs.
The MOL further explained that to respond to diverse forms of work, the Occupational Accident Insurance Act provides compulsory, voluntary, and special enrollment channels. Therefore, uninsured workers, such as workers briefly or temporarily employed by individual employers and persons actually engaged in labor, are encouraged to enroll in occupational accident insurance under special enrollment status through the BLI's simplified enrollment procedures. An additional layer of insurance means an additional layer of protection. For more information on occupational accident subsidies for uninsured workers, please visit
the BLI's official website.