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Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure SK-2022-19/2790 – measures in Slovakia

Material need benefit increase

Zvýšenie sumy pomoci v hmotnej núdzi

Country Slovakia , applies nationwide
Time period Temporary, 01 May 2022 – 31 May 2022
Context COVID-19, War in Ukraine
Type Legislations or other statutory regulations
Category Responses to inflation
– Increasing income in general
Author Daniela Kešelová (IVPR) and Eurofound
Measure added 04 September 2022 (updated 10 October 2022)

Background information

The amendment No. 159/2022 of Government Regulation No. 102/2020 on some measures in social affairs, family and employment services in the state of emergency announced in connection with COVID-19, established some measures to mitigate the consequences of inflation on vulnerable groups. One of the measures refer to the material need assistance. The amendment also released some pandemic measures established in Government Regulation No. 102/2020 related to temporary adjustments in certain areas of social affairs and family.

Originally, the Government Regulation No. 102/2022 was approved on 28 April 2020 as a response to the necessity of temporary adjustment of procedures, activities, claims and deadlines in proceedings in the area of state social benefits, material need assistance, substitute alimony and compensation for the social consequences of severe disability.

Material need is established in the Act No. 417/2013 Coll. on Material need assistance. See related case .

Content of measure

As stated in the related case , material need means the status when the income of household members does not reach the subsistence minimum level and the household members are not able to ensure their income or to increase it. The purpose is to help to ensure basic living needs. It consists of basic material need benefit and other add-on allowances, for instance protection allowance, activation allowance, dependent child allowance and housing allowance. Material need benefit is a means-tested measure. It is paid regularly once a month.

The increase is an ad-hoc measure and refers to the rise by €100 in May 2022. Its aim is to support increased living expenses of the most vulnerable households. It will be provided for all households eligible for regular material need benefit in May 2022. The offices of labour, social affairs and family process the ad-hoc measure automatically. It is not necessary to apply for it.

The amount of regular material need benefit is based on household size. As of 1 January 2022 the level of basic material need benefit ranges from €68.80 a month for an individual adult person to €241.30 a month for a couple with more than four children.

In case of eligibility for add-on allowances the household receives monthly: protection allowance (at one of three available levels - €70.40, €38.70 or €15.10), activation allowance (the levels are €140.80 and €70.40) dependent child allowance: €19.30 and housing allowance: €59.40 (one member household) and €94.80 (more than one household members).

Use of measure

Total of 58,000 households are estimated to be eligible for an ad-hoc €100 material need benefit.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Does not apply to workers Does not apply to businesses People on social benefits
People on low incomes

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 No involvement
Form Not applicable Not applicable

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

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

Involvement

There is no involvement of social partners in designing, implementing and monitoring the measure.

Views and reactions

There are no social partners' views.

Sources

  • 28 April 2020: Explanatory text to the Government Regulation No. 102/2020. (rokovania.gov.sk)
  • 15 March 2022: Sumy dávky a príspevkov od 01.01.2022 (www.upsvr.gov.sk)
  • 26 April 2022: Pomoc od štátu „len“ sto eur? Niektoré rodiny dostanú aj štvornásobne viac (www.finsider.sk)
  • 11 May 2022: Explanatory text to the Government Regulation No. 159/2022 (rokovania.gov.sk)
  • 20 May 2022: Government Regulation No. 159/2022 amending the Government Regulation No. 102/2020. (www.slov-lex.sk)
  • 20 May 2022: Nariadenie vlády č. 102/2020 v znení neskorších predpisov (Government Regulation No. 102/2020 as amended) (www.slov-lex.sk)
  • 30 May 2022: Prehľad a podmienky poskytovania inflačnej pomoci. MPSVR. (www.employment.gov.sk)
  • 07 June 2022: Act No. 417/2013 on material need assistance as amended. (www.slov-lex.sk)

Citation

Eurofound (2022), Material need benefit increase, measure SK-2022-19/2790 (measures in Slovakia), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/SK-2022-19_2790.html

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