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Factsheet for measure SK-2020-44/1608 Updated – measures in Slovakia

SOS subsidy for people without any other income - Measure 5 - First Aid Plus

Dotácia SOS - Opatrenie 5 - Prvá pomoc Plus

Country Slovakia , applies nationwide
Time period Temporary, 30 October 2020 – 30 June 2021
Context COVID-19
Type Legislations or other statutory regulations
Category Income protection beyond short-time work
– Extensions of income support to workers not covered by any kind of protection scheme
Author Daniela Keselova (IVPR) and Eurofound
Measure added 17 December 2020 (updated 21 July 2021)

Background information

The measure follows the previous SOS subsidy for persons without any other income which ended on 31 August 2020. The legislative background of this updated measure has been set in the new Government Regulation No. 301/2020 Coll. which amends the former Regulation No. 103/2020 Coll. The new Regulation changes some rules for SOS subsidy.

Content of measure

Persons who used to have an income from work, self-employment, business, or a personal assistance before the crisis situation and stayed without any income during the pandemic are eligible. The person cannot receive any other benefits and allowances, such as retirement pension or invalidity pension higher than €300, unemployment benefit, parental allowance, material need help or sickness benefit.

Compared to the previous SOS subsidy see case SK-2020-18/886 , this updated one in the First Aid Plus programme is higher by €90.

A person without any income receives maximum of €300 monthly. Maximum financial limit paid to one person in the whole year 2020 is €1,800. The subsidy paid from March 2020 to August 2020 is included in this limit.

The applications for this subsidy have been accepted since October 2020. The persons have to be registered as jobseekers. Compared to the previous measure, they apply for the subsidy at the Offices for Labour, Social Affairs and Family, not directly at the Ministry for Labour, Social Affairs and Family. The subsidy is paid during the crisis situation and immediately after the crisis situation ends.

Updates

The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.

17 June 2021

Due to the positive trend in pandemic situation and releasing the economy, the SOS subsidy was suspended on 1 July 2021. June 2021 subsidy will be the last one to be paid out. The Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family recommends SOS subsidy recipients to apply further for material need benefit to solve their social and financial situation.

26 March 2021

The measure implemented within the programme First Aid Plus ended on 31 January 2021. The measure continues within the programme First Aid Plus Plus which has been implemented from 1 February 2021 to 30 June 2021.

Use of measure

Total amount paid for SOS subsidy has been €27 million by 26 March 2021.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Applies to all workers Does not apply to businesses Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
Public employment service
National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role No involvement as case not in social partner domain No involvement as case not in social partner domain
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • No involvement
  • Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Social partners were not involved in preparation of the measure via usual tripartite consultations and neither in the cross-sector commenting procedure as the measure refers to individual citizens (workers, self-employed, unemployed) who stayed without any income during the crisis situation.

Views and reactions

There are no views or reactions of social partners available.

Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2020), SOS subsidy for people without any other income - Measure 5 - First Aid Plus, measure SK-2020-44/1608 (measures in Slovakia), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/SK-2020-44_1608.html

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Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.