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Shanghai's Struggling Bureaucracy and Its Impact on Citizens

Government Demands Repayment of Overpaid Maternity Benefits

In recent days, a wave of public outrage has surged in Shanghai as numerous mothers voiced their frustration online over government-issued notices demanding the return of allegedly overpaid maternity benefits. These notifications, sent via text messages or official letters by the local medical insurance agency — a government-run entity — request women to reimburse sums ranging from a few thousand yuan to tens of thousands. Astonishingly, some mothers who gave birth as far back as 2020 are now being asked to pay back money, with one case demanding a repayment of 55,000 yuan (approximately $7,500).