Future Romanian Social Code To Reduce No Of Social Benefits, Recipients

Botis said current legislation stipulates 202 types of social benefit, which are provided to around 13 million people. The new Social Code will combine them into four groups, each tied to an insertion indicator. The number of recipients will also be reduced, by changing the eligibility criteria. For instance, people receiving the minimum guaranteed income will have to prove they have performed community work, said the minister.

Under the new Code, the benefits will be provided to families, not individuals, taking into account their income and opportunities to increase their income.

The state spends 8.8 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.2972) on social assistance each year.

On October 19, Botis told the Chamber of Deputies’ committee for labor that the Social Code would be presented in November. He said at the time that the first part of the Code, dealing with social benefits, was done and the Government was working on the second part, regarding social services.