At its on January 27 meeting, Slovakia’s cabinet approved a draft new concept for the country’s subsistence level scheme, the SITA newswire wrote.
The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family plans to re-evaluate the subsistence scheme by 2012 and if it turns out that the subsistence scheme does not comply with the conclusions of the re-evaluation, the ministry will initiate a change to the subsistence level law, the ministry says in the draft concept.
Besides re-evaluating the subsistence level, the ministry is expected to re-think the provision of assistance to people in material need, i.e. the sum of benefits paid to persons in material need that goes to various types of families as well as additional contributions so that these together guarantee an income sufficient to cover the basic needs of a household.
The Trade Union Confederation (KOZ) has asked the Ministry of Labour to shorten the period within which it is to re-evaluate the subsistence concept but Labour Minister Viera Tomanová said that this was impossible. She said that the first statistical measurements will only be available by 2011, so 2012 is an absolutely realistic deadline for the examination to be finished.
According to the current law, a citizen of Slovakia is in material need when his or her monthly income is below the subsistence level, €185.19 per month for 2010.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
