Minimum Income Support in Serbia – Adequacy of Social Assistance Cover Image

Podrška minimalnom dohotku u Srbiji – adekvatnost novčane socijalne pomoći
Minimum Income Support in Serbia – Adequacy of Social Assistance

Author(s): Suzana Mihajlović Babić
Subject(s): Welfare systems, Family and social welfare
Published by: Fakultet političkih nauka Univerziteta u Beogradu
Keywords: social assistance; adequacy; Serbia

Summary/Abstract: While some Member States of the European Union haven’t developed their own national minimum income shemes (Greece and Italy), current legislative regulation in our country recognizes the right to universal material support to the poor population. The basic program of material support is achieved through social assistance payments, while the conditions and amount of financial assistance for beneficiaries are regulated by the Social Protection Law. The aims of this paper are to determine the adequacy of financial assistance as a concept in European practice in the context of right to minimum income support, review of the basic settings of this right in our country and to analyse the adequacy of social assistance payments level in relation to achievement of adequate living standard in the Republic of Serbia. Findings suggest that the amount of financial assistance is inadequate to uplift the social assistance beneficiaries above the absolute poverty line.

  • Issue Year: 2015
  • Issue No: 14
  • Page Range: 167-183
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: Serbian