Mugoša: There is no will from the parliamentary majority to increase social benefits, or they are waiting to do so before the elections

European Union MP Boris Mugoša once again called on the Government to increase the price of 30 euros Increase monthly support for beneficiaries of family material security and care and assistance allowance.

Mugoša points out that with the latest, August adjustment, the amount of material security for an individual has been increased from 99,97 euros to 101,32 euros, meaning that beneficiaries of the care and assistance allowance (other people's care) will receive 100,54 euros per month instead of the previous 99,20 euros...

He said that, in years of drastic increases in the cost of living (food, medicine, health services, utilities...), "those who are in dire need of support are constantly being forgotten."

"This year, the majority MPs did not accept the proposal of the European Union MPs to increase the amount of monthly support for the legally poorest category of citizens, which are beneficiaries of family material security (from the current miserable 100 euros to 130 euros for an individual and from 190 euros for a family with five or more members to 250 euros), even though there are funds in the budget for this increase under the item intended for MOP beneficiaries. The majority MPs also did not accept the proposal of the European Union to increase the amount of monthly support for beneficiaries of other people's care by 30 euros (until the introduction of the inclusive supplement), which are mostly the oldest citizens who have health problems (from the current miserable 100 euros to 130 euros). In addition to all this, there is still a huge problem in the work of social and medical commissions, which is why a huge number of citizens are dissatisfied," Mugoša points out.

He claims that there are funds in the budget for the aforementioned proposals of the European Union, but that there is no will from the parliamentary majority, or that the majority is waiting for a few months before the elections to increase the amounts of social benefits.

He recalls that the Law on Social and Child Protection was adopted in 2013 and that the amounts of material security were defined at that time, which ranged from a third of the then minimum wage for an individual and beneficiaries of other people's care to 63 percent of the minimum wage for a family with five or more members. Although the cost of living has increased significantly in the last 12 years, the (absolute) amounts of material benefits specified in the law have remained the same, Mugoša notes. These amounts have increased by only about forty euros for an individual and beneficiaries of other people's care in 13 years, as he said, due to certain legal adjustments, to 70 euros for a family with five or more members.

Mugoša said that the European Union's proposals are aligned with the conclusions adopted by the Parliament with the budget laws for 2023 and 2024, which we have just proposed from the European Union. At that time, he recalled, the Parliament tasked the Government with providing for an increase in certain material benefits through amendments to the Law on Social and Child Protection, taking into account the significant increase in the cost of living.

"We will continue to insist on the necessity of increasing support for the most socially vulnerable categories of citizens, because they cannot even meet their basic existential needs in a situation of drastic increases in the cost of living. Once again, we call on the Government to accept our proposals and increase the amounts of MOP and other people's care by a modest 30 euros," the statement reads.