Migrant Sues Government for Denying Welfare Claim on Basis of Residency Status

Migrant worker Wu Yongzhong has sued the Guangdong Department of Civil Affairs for denying his claim for welfare payments on the basis of his hukou (household registration) status, according to a September 30 Beijing News report. Wu is an injured, unemployed electrician originally from Sichuan province who has worked in Guangzhou city for eight years.

District and city authorities denied welfare benefits that Wu claims he is owed under local regulations on minimum living subsidies for urban residents. Department of Civil Affairs officials cite Wu's lack of a local Guangzhou hukou as a reason for denying his claim. Wu has challenged the denial in the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court.

In China, migrants with rural or non-local hukou often cannot qualify for social benefits in the urban areas where they live and work. For more information, see the Freedom of Residence and Travel page of the CECC Virtual Academy.