Ombudsman Karina Palkova calls on the Cabinet of Ministers to review the legal norms that are inconsistent with the Constitution, according to which the state provides social assistance to residents, by the end of this year, the ombudsman's office reported.
The facts established by the ombudsman during the investigation regarding inadequate, humiliating, and unequal state social contributions for residents raising children with severe disabilities indicate that the fundamental principles and criteria by which the state provides social support to residents are not clear, understandable, and fair.
Palkova notes that caring for a child with a severe disability is inherently complex, responsible, and an emotional upheaval in life, which often objectively prevents a person from performing paid work in their profession.
"It is unacceptable that in such cases, pension insurance contributions are not determined based on any specific calculation method and data, but are the result of a political decision," she emphasizes, adding that they have not been reviewed for almost 20 years. "In essence, these people suffer from the injustice of life twice," Palkova believes.
Currently, for individuals receiving benefits for caring for a child with a disability, mandatory contributions to the state social insurance system for pension insurance amount to 20% of 71.14 euros. Such a system cannot be considered fair and in accordance with human dignity, the ombudsman stresses.
At the same time, the Ombudsman’s Office notes that citizens caring for children with severe disabilities are not the only group in society for whom pension insurance contributions are paid from the state budget. This also includes individuals who receive compensation for caring for a foster child, for fulfilling the duties of a foster family, spouses of military personnel serving abroad, and others.
The ombudsman believes that the problem lies in the fact that state support is determined by different principles, and its review is situational, taking into account current political priorities or the ability of the respective agency to lobby for the interests of a specific group.
According to Palkova, differences are permissible, but they must be consistent, based on principles of fairness and equality before the law. She concludes that the state has not fulfilled its obligation to create a social insurance system that would allow people to effectively exercise their rights.
