Taiwan's government has approved a plan to hand every resident NT$10,000 in cash, and the money could arrive before Lunar New Year — good news for families, but only if parliament moves fast.

• The cash handout is funded in next year's central government budget, with the money set aside already.
• If parliament passes the budget by January 5, the first payments would land in late January, ahead of the holiday.
• The ruling DPP is pressing opposition parties to speed up budget review, saying sharing the gains from economic growth cannot be just a slogan.
• The KMT wants to double the payout to NT$20,000, which the DPP rejects as bidding up the number without naming where the money comes from.
• A family of four would get NT$40,000, a meaningful cushion against household costs.

Outlook: The payout timing now hinges on how quickly opposition parties clear the budget, and the fight over NT$10,000 versus NT$20,000 will decide whether the handout slips past Lunar New Year.