Complexity of social assistance system generates functionality-related shortcomings, study

The mechanism for providing social assistance is not easily understood owing to its complexity and this generates functionality-related shortcomings, says a study by the Independent Analytical Center “Expert-Grup”, intended for the parliamentary commission on social protection, health and family. The expert said that in general the system for distributing social benefits is correct and non-discriminatory. The parliamentary commission’s head Vladimir Hotineanu has told Info-Prim Neo that the study represents an analysis of the implementation of the Law on Social Assistance that was adopted by the legislature in 2008. It assessed the process of providing social benefits – the access and the distribution principle – and the results produced by them – the impact on poverty. The MP said that besides the positive aspects noted by the experts, there are drawbacks as regards the dissatisfaction of social sections that did not benefit from support. The study shows that a part of the social workers do not fully understand the mechanism so that it is criticized both from inside and outside. In order to change the situation, information campaigns are carried out through the district social assistance divisions. The study points to a series of shortcomings in the process of assessing the incomes and diminishing the moral hazard, which lead to inclusion and exclusion errors. Even if these errors are more a kind of exceptions, they contribute to creating a negative opinion about the system. Vladimir Hotineanu said that according to the study, the number of beneficiaries of social assistance over the three years during which the law has been implemented increased from 30,000 to 70,000. The average period since the submission of the application until the receipt of the social benefit is two to three weeks. The implementation of the Law on Social Assistance will continue to be monitored and a series of amendments will be proposed in the near future so as to remove the existing shortcomings. The study was made within the joint Council of Europe and the European Union “Democracy Support Program”.