Mrs. Lò Thị Chốm, from Đắng village, Nà Tấu commune, has turned 77 this year. With her health declining and no longer able to work, and with her children and grandchildren all facing difficulties, Mrs. Chốm was very excited to learn that she was eligible for social retirement benefits under Decree 176. She said, ”From now on, having an extra allowance each month will help ease some of the burden of daily living. More importantly, it’s wonderful to see that the Party and the State are still caring for and haven’t forgotten old people like us.”

Mrs. Quàng Thị Nhại, born in 1954, from Khén village, Mường Lạn commune, also couldn’t hide her joy at receiving the social retirement allowance policy under Decree 176. For many years, she has been a poor household in the commune, with her life mainly depending on a few small plots of land and the help of her children and grandchildren. In her twilight years, with poor health and an unstable income, Mrs. Nhại was overjoyed when she was informed about the new policy. ”When the commune officials came to inform me, I was so happy. Having an extra allowance each month, although not much, helps me buy medicine and a little more rice and cooking oil...” Mrs. Nhại shared.

Mường Lạn commune currently has 43 people aged from 70 to under 75, and 241 people aged 75 and older who are eligible for benefits under Decree 176. Mr. Đào Duy Thạch, Vice Chairman of the Mường Lạn commune People’s Committee, said: ”The implementation of Decree 176 is very practical, helping the elderly to have an additional source of support to stabilize their lives, especially those without a pension or regular income. The commune government has carefully reviewed the lists, ensuring that the implementation is correct, timely, public, and transparent so that the policy reaches the right beneficiaries.”

Mr. Thạch emphasized that along with the social retirement allowance policy, the commune will continue to pay attention to and mobilize organizations, unions, and the community to join hands in caring for the material and spiritual lives of the elderly, helping them to live happily, healthily, and usefully.

Joy and excitement are the common feelings of many other elderly people across the province upon receiving their social retirement allowances. To implement this policy well, various levels and sectors have urgently carried it out to ensure it is timely, effective, and in accordance with regulations. Notably, the effective date of Decree 176 (July 1, 2025) coincided with the period when localities were implementing the two-level local government model, so the task of both completing the apparatus and ensuring the new policy reached the people was carried out seriously and flexibly.

Communes and wards have promoted communication and dissemination of the contents of Decree 176 to grassroots officials and the public, especially to the elderly eligible for social retirement benefits, helping them to understand the conditions, benefit levels, and procedures for accessing the policy. At the same time, localities have conducted reviews and compiled lists to ensure the right beneficiaries and compliance with regulations.

Mr. Kiều Xuân Hoàng, Vice Chairman of the Búng Lao commune People’s Committee, said that the commune has actively communicated the contents of Decree 176 to villages, hamlets, local Elderly Associations, and households in the area. It has also guided people in filling out applications and completing procedures to receive their social retirement benefits. To date, all eligible individuals in the area have had their applications received and benefits paid according to regulations, ensuring it is timely, correct, and sufficient. The commune also continues to review and update new cases to ensure timely implementation, leaving no beneficiary of the policy behind.

The entire province currently has 18,332 elderly people receiving social retirement allowances. It can be said that since Decree 176 was implemented, every citizen, especially the elderly, has felt more clearly the spirit of “leaving no one behind” in the social security policies of the Party and the State. This is also an important premise for localities to continue to do well in the work of caring for, supporting, and promoting the role of the elderly in the new situation.