Factsheet for measure
EE-2023-41/3451
– measures in Estonia
New food card system for providing food aid
Toidukaart asendab toiduabi jagamise
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Country
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Estonia
, applies nationwide
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Time period
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Open ended, started on 10 October 2023
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Context
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Cost of Living Crisis
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Type
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Other initiatives or policies
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Category
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Measures to prevent social hardship
– Provision of services in kind (e.g. food vouchers)
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Author
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Ingel Kadarik (Praxis Center for Policy Studies) and Eurofound
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Measure added
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09 January 2024 (updated 27 March 2024)
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Background information
Previously, Ministry of Social Affairs, and the Estonian Food Bank have given people food aid four times a year, mostly in the form of dry goods, tins and other slow-to-perish goods. Instead of the distribution of food aid items in local government offices, individuals now receive a food card, which can be used to buy food and essential goods with from Rimi stores all over Estonia. This allows families to choose their own necessary and preferred products and reduces the workload of local government social workers and Food Bank staff, whose task it was to sort and package the food items.
Content of measure
The list of people who qualify for food aid is based on subsistence benefit and local government support recipients. To qualify, a person must turn to their local government social worker and have their economic situation evaluated. They will then be registered as a food aid recipient and the food card is delivered via mail or the social worker.
€30 per person will be transferred to the food card quarterly. A single card per family will be issued. The support sum needs to be used within three months and will not be transferred to the next period. The food card can only be used to buy food and basic commodities.
The food aid is financed by European Social Fund.
Use of measure
Latest data from second quarter of 2023 indicates 28,936 recipients of food aid. There is no detailed data available on the use of food cards yet.
Target groups
Actors and funding
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Actors
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Funding
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National government
Company / Companies
Other social actors (e.g. NGOs)
Local / regional government
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European Funds
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Social partners
Social partners' role in
designing the measure
and form of involvement:
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Trade unions
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Employers' organisations
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Role
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No involvement as case not in social partner domain
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No involvement as case not in social partner domain
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Form
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Not applicable
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Not applicable
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Social partners' role in the
implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
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No involvement
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Main level of involvement: N/A
Involvement
No involvement.
Views and reactions
No views or reactions have been expressed.
Sources
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21 March 2023: Estonia tests food card system in Harju and Rapla counties
(news.err.ee)
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30 October 2023: Riik läheb tänasest toiduabi jagamisel üle toidukaartidele
(sm.ee)
