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Social Assistance: General Conditions I, 2010
Basic principles
Entitled persons/beneficiaries
Austria
Single persons and households (families,
The aim is to provide a decent life for people who are not able to cover their daily costs of living or those of their
domestic partnership).
family members with their own resources.
Social assistance is a general non-contributory system for the whole population. Some Länder, however, grant
higher benefits to certain groups of people, e.g. persons with disabilities or chronically ill persons.
The benefits are managed on regional level by the district administrative authority and the municipality respectively.
Social assistance is a subsidiary safety net. This means, that in principle the own income or other benefits, such
as unemployment benefits etc., are taken into account for the purposes of entitlement to benefits. Accordingly, the
benefits are paid as either differential amounts or; in the absence of determining income; as full basic rate.
Benefits aimed at covering the daily cost of living are in principle granted on the basis of a subjective right.
Belgium
General system:
Guaranteeing a right to social integration through a job or an integration income, coupled or not to an integration
project. The integration income must ensure a minimum income to persons without sufficient resources and unable to procure them by personal effort or other means. Benefit established at federal level but granted locally by
the Public Centres for Social Assistance (PCSA). Partial funding by the Federal State, the PCSAs and the municipalities in case of deficit.
Special systems:
Guarantee of income for elder persons: Creating a minimum income for elder persons in need. Benefit established at federal level. Subjective right. Differential amount.
Disabled persons’ allowances: The Income Replacement Allowance, the Integration Allowance and the Allowance
for Assistance to the Elderly are granted to persons whose earnings capacity is reduced as a result of their disability or to persons with reduced autonomy, and who incur additional costs to integrate into society. It concerns a
non-contributory scheme close to social assistance. Benefits are organised at federal level. However, the subject
matter relating to disabled persons is not limited to these fields only. In Belgium, the policy relating to disabled
persons also and mainly belongs to the competence of other federal, regional and community bodies. Subjective
right. Differential amount.
Guaranteed family benefits: Granting of guaranteed family benefits to children who do not benefit from family
benefits under a Belgian, foreign or international scheme or who benefit from such benefits at a lower rate than
the rate which can be provided in accordance with the law. The benefits are organised at federal level. The guaranteed family benefits are granted by and at the expense of the National Family Benefits Office for Employees.
Subjective right. Fixed benefit comprising:
• The child benefit;
• Age-related supplementary allowance;
• Birth grant;
• Special allowance for foster children;
• Adoption grant;
• Annual age supplement;
• Monthly supplement.
General system:
Individual right for:
• Persons cohabiting
• Single persons;
• Persons living together with a dependent
family.
Special systems:
Guarantee of income for elder persons:
Elder persons.
Disabled persons’ allowances:
• Income Replacement Allowance: the person whose earnings capacity is reduced by
2/3 as a result of his/her disability;
• Integration Allowance and Allowance for
Assistance to the Elderly: the person who
has lost all or part of his/her autonomy.
Guaranteed family benefits: All natural persons residing in Belgium.
Page 1 of 9
Social Assistance: General Conditions I, 2010
Basic principles
Entitled persons/beneficiaries
Bulgaria
General non-contributory minimum:
People who do not have the necessary means to meet their basic needs and who need support for their reintegration in the labour market and society can receive monthly social assistance allowances of a differential amount
based on discretionary entitlement. The allowances are means-tested and the provision is organised centrally.
Specific non-contributory minima:
• Older people who do not have the necessary resources to maintain themselves can receive social pension for
old-age of a fixed amount. The benefit is means-tested, it is based on a discretionary entitlement, and its provision is organised centrally;
• Pensioners whose pensions are very low have а right to a pension supplement of a differential amount. The
supplement is means-tested, it is based on a subjective right, and its provision is organised centrally;
• Older long-term unemployed who do not meet the requirements to acquire a right to a pension under special
conditions receive a benefit for long-term unemployment. The benefit is not means-tested; it is based on a subjective right and is not part of the social assistance system.
Individuals or families who, for reasons related to health, age, social situation or for
other reasons, owing to circumstances beyond their control, are unable to satisfy a
basic standard of living through their own
labour, their income from property or assistance of the persons obliged to support
them.
Cyprus
Social Welfare Services and Public Assistance provided within the framework of the Public Assistance and Services Law of 2006:
• Aims to ensure a socially acceptable minimum standard of living for persons (and families) legally residing in the
Republic of Cyprus, subject to eligibility criteria. In particular, any person whose income and other economic resources are insufficient to meet his/her basic and special needs, as defined in the legislation, may apply for public
assistance, which may be provided in the form of monetary support and/or services;
• Granted on the basis of a subjective right; the claimant is guaranteed entitlement to the benefit if s/he satisfies
all the conditions laid down by law;
• The nature of the benefit is differential in that it varies according to the applicant’s income. As the applicant’s
income increases the amount of benefit decreases so as to ensure that the recipient conforms to the minimum
standards set and described below under “Cash benefits, 1. Determining factors” and “2. Amounts”. The total
amount received by the claimant varies according to the number of dependent persons, special needs (i.e. care,
rent, special diet, special needs) and the applicant’s income;
• The scheme is non-contributory as it is not calculated based on the contributions paid by employers, employees
or insured persons.
Benefit provision is centralised and directed by Social Welfare Services. Claimant application is processed by the
local Social Welfare Offices.
Social Insurance Services: Social Pension. The aim is to provide by law a pension to persons aged 65 or more
who are not entitled to a pension or other similar payment from any other source and satisfy the conditions of
legal residence in Cyprus. In case of entitlement to a pension or another similar payment the rate of which is
lower than the rate of the social pension, then the entitlement to social pension is equal to the difference between
the 2 pensions/payments.
Special Allowance: The aim is to increase the amount of pension for beneficiaries who satisfy the conditions of
legal residence in Cyprus and receive a pension of less than EUR 854.30 per month. Since 1 Dec 2009, there are
no new beneficiaries as the “Scheme for supporting pensioners with low income” is fully implemented.
The Grants and Benefits Service: Cash benefit scheme addressed to pensioners’ households whose total annual
income is below the poverty threshold.
Social Welfare Services: Any individual and
his/her family dependants legally residing in
the Republic of Cyprus.
Social Insurance Services: Social Pension.
Age of 65 years old or more; no entitlement
to a person receiving any other pension or
similar payment the amount of which is
higher than the amount of the Social Pension; if the pension or similar payment received is less than the amount of the Social
Pension, then the person may receive the
difference between the 2 amounts; legal
residence in Cyprus for a total period of at
least 20 years from the date the claimant
reaches the age of 40, or for a total period of
at least 35 years from the date the claimant
reaches the age of 18 years.
Special Allowance: All resident pensioners
who satisfy the conditions of legal residence
and whose pension is less than EUR 854.30
per month.
The Grants and Benefits Service: Households with persons who receive: Pension
from the Social Insurance Fund (Old Age,
Incapacity, and Widow etc.), Social Pension,
or Pension from any occupational pension
scheme applicable in Cyprus.
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Social Assistance: General Conditions I, 2010
Czech
Republic
Basic principles
Entitled persons/beneficiaries
Guaranteed minimum support benefits are provided in the System of Assistance in Material Need (SAMN). SAMN
is aimed at people with insufficient income. The fundamental goal is to ensure basic needs for living and housing.
The principal condition is low income and impossibility to improve it by own effort (work, use of property and other
priority claims). SAMN is financed from the State budget (general taxation). SAMN is a general (uniform) system
with specific conditions and obligations for different categories of people. SAMN is organised centrally; benefits
are paid by the municipalities under the same conditions all over the country. Entitlement to SAMN is based on a
subjective right; the claimant is entitled to the benefit if s/he satisfies the conditions laid down by law and submits
an application on a prescribed form.
Within the SAMN, there are 3 benefits:
Allowance for Living is a recurrent benefit provided to a person or a family in case of insufficient income to ensure
basic needs (except for needs related to housing).
Supplement for Housing is a recurrent benefit provided to a person or a family in case of insufficient income to
cover justified housing costs.
Extraordinary Immediate Assistance is a one-off benefit provided to persons in precarious situations.
The amount of the recurrent benefits is derived from the Living minimum and Subsistence minimum and varies
according to the applicant’s income, efforts and personal status. The amount of the one-off benefits is set at fixed
sums or sums adequate to the situations to be resolved.
Entitled persons for the Allowance for Living
and Supplement for Housing are:
• permanent residents,
• persons who obtained asylum,
• migrant workers and their family members
(under Regulation 1612/68),
• EU long-term residents,
• EU citizens (who are not under Regulation
1612/68) after 3 months of residence in the
Czech Republic.
Extraordinary Immediate can be granted
also to persons who stay in the Czech Republic legally and, in serious danger situations, even to persons staying in the Czech
Republic illegally.
Denmark Activation measures and benefits (e.g. social assistance, starting allowance) are offered when a person is, due to Family-based entitlement depending on age,
particular circumstances (e.g. sickness, unemployment), temporarily for a shorter or longer period without suffidependent children and period of residence.
cient means to meet his/her requirements or those of his/her family.
The benefit- and activation executive organ is the municipality. Differential amount. Subjective right, with a discretionary element.
Estonia
Subsistence benefit: The fundamental aim of the scheme is to guarantee that after paying for housing expenses
(within established limits) families or single persons still have means equivalent to the amount of the subsistence
level. Parliament establishes the minimum subsistence level yearly. The scheme is organised and financed centrally. Benefits are granted on the basis of a subjective right by local governments and renewed on a monthly
basis. Benefit amounts are differential.
Unemployment allowance: Social assistance scheme financed by taxes covering the active population providing a
flat-rate unemployment allowance.
Subsistence benefit: Individual, while the
household composition is taken into account.
Unemployment allowance: Active population.
Finland
Social assistance Social assistance is a form of last resort assistance. The goal of the benefit is to ensure minimum subsistence for the person (family). The assistance is given when a person (family) is temporarily, for a
shorter or longer period, without sufficient means to meet the necessary costs of living. The benefit is paid by the
municipality in the area of which the person (family) resides.
The right to social assistance is a subjective right for those who meet the conditions laid down by law. The benefit
is a differential amount which consists of a fixed basic amount and additional assistance which varies based on
needs.
Special assistance to immigrants The goal of the special assistance to immigrants is to provide financial security
in old age and during disability for immigrants not eligible for full national pension because of insufficient residence periods.
Social assistance: In principle individual right
of every person residing in Finland; the
situation of the household (married or unmarried couples and minor children) is considered as a whole.
Special assistance to immigrants Residents
having reached the age of 65 or disabled
persons aged between 16 and 64.
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Social Assistance: General Conditions I, 2010
Basic principles
France
Benefits set at national level and granted on the basis of a subjective right. Differential allowances intended to:
• Active solidarity income (RSA): supplement income from work for those with insufficient professional income, to
ensure a minimum income for persons without resources, to promote professional activity whilst fighting against
exclusion.
Allowance for disabled adults (AAH): guarantee minimum resources for disabled persons.
• Solidarity allowance for old people (ASPA) and Supplementary invalidity allowance (ASI): supplement social
security benefits for old or disabled persons without (sufficient) insurance record.
• Allowance of specific solidarity (ASS): guarantee a minimum income for persons capable of working. Full allowance when income is below a certain ceiling. Differential allowance on the part of the income exceeding this ceiling.
• Temporary waiting period allowance (ATA): provide a temporary income to certain jobseekers that are not entitled to unemployment insurance benefits.
Germany Assistance towards living expenses / Needs-based pension supplement in old age and in the event of reduced
earning capacity / Basic security benefits for jobseekers: Tax-financed scheme of means-tested minimum resources to secure a decent standard of living for persons in need who are capable of incapable of working and
who do not earn a sufficient income in order to meet the needs of the domestic unit or who do not receive the
necessary support from other people. Dependants living together with the recipient in a domestic unit may claim
Social Benefit in case of need.
The needs-based pension supplements in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity are administered
by the local authorities.
The Federal Employment Agency and the local authorities are responsible for the basic security benefits for jobseekers.
Differential amount. Subjective right, non-discretionary.
Entitled persons/beneficiaries
Individual right for the calculation of which
the household situation is taken into account.
Assistance towards living expenses / Needsbased pension supplement in old age and in
the event of reduced earning capacity: Individual incapable of work or members of a
household unit.
Basic security benefits for jobseekers: All
persons in need who are capable of working
- if they are not excluded due to particular
circumstances - and their family members.
Greece
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Hungary
No general non-contributory minimum.
Specific non-contributory minima.
Benefit for persons in active age: provided to ensure a minimum standard of living for those persons of active age
who are not employed. The benefit is financed for 80-95% from the central budget and for 20-5% from the local
governments’ budget. 2 types of cash benefits are paid in this framework, i.e. regular social allowance and availability support. The amount of the regular social allowance depends on the size, composition and income of the
family; the amount of the availability support is fixed.
Old-age allowance: provided to ensure a minimum standard of living for persons in old-age. The benefit is financed for 90% from the central budget and for 10% from the local government budget. The benefit amount is
fixed in case the claimant and his/her spouse has no income at all. In case they have some income, this income
is supplemented to the amount defined by law.
Both benefits are administered by the local authorities, but they are regulated centrally. If the claimant fulfils all
the conditions laid down by law, he/she has a subjective right to the benefit.
Benefit for persons in active age: Persons in
active age (ranging from the age of 18 until
to retirement age) who are not employed
and not in education, which do not have
sufficient resources of living.
Old-age allowance: Persons in old-age (who
have reached the retirement age), who do
not have sufficient resources of living.
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Social Assistance: General Conditions I, 2010
Basic principles
Entitled persons/beneficiaries
Ireland
General non-contributory minimum: The Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme provides differential flat-rate
cash benefits for persons whose means are insufficient to meet their needs.
Specific non-contributory minima: A range of contingency related non-contributory schemes are available to persons with limited means. These schemes also provide differential cash benefits and have greater application in
Ireland than the general non-contributory minimum scheme. The relevant schemes are Jobseeker’s Allowance,
Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, One Parent Family Payment, Farm Assist, Widow’s and Widower’s (NonContributory) Pension and State Pension (Non-Contributory).
Carer’s Allowance is a means-tested payment for full-time carers.
Entitlement to both the general and specific schemes is provided for on a statutory basis (subjective right) and
these schemes are organised on a national basis.
Supplementary Welfare Allowance: people
with insufficient means.
Jobseeker’s Allowance: the unemployed.
Disability Allowance: people with disabilities.
Blind Pension: blind people and certain people with low vision.
One Parent Family Payment: people parenting alone.
Farm Assist: low-income farmers.
Widow’s and Widower’s (Non-Contributory)
Pension: people who are widowed and do
not qualify for Widow’s and Widower’s (Contributory) Pension.
State Pension (Non-Contributory): people
aged 66 or over who does not qualify for the
State Pension (Contributory).
Italy
On the basis of Article 132 of Law No. 112 of 1998, the State has transferred to the regions legislative functions
and administrative competences in the field of social services for disabled persons (minors, youngsters, elderly
people, poor families, etc.) Some of these competences have been delegated to the municipalities and to local
entities.
Every municipality, acting in accordance with regional legislation and depending on the available budgetary resources, implements its own policies of social intervention on its territory. The law does not provide for general
conditions or requirements for entitlement to municipal support. This support can be either in cash or in kind (intervention by social workers).
Individuals and/or families who are in need
of socio-economic support.
Latvia
General non-contributory minimum To ensure a minimum level of income for each member of needy households
whose income level is lower than the level of income set by the Cabinet of Ministers. Benefits are organised locally. The Guaranteed minimum income (GMI) level as well as eligibility conditions, formalities, calculation and
payment procedures for the GMI benefit are set by central government. Guaranteed minimum income benefit is
paid out by local municipalities and from the municipal budget.
Benefits are granted on the basis of a subjective right; the claimant is entitled to the benefit if he/she satisfies the
conditions laid down by law and on the basis of income and assets (property) test.
The benefit is of a differential amount, calculated as the difference between the claimant’s average monthly income over the last 3 months and the GMI level set by the Cabinet of Ministers. The benefit is granted in cash or in
kind.
• Citizens,
• Non-citizens and foreign nationals who
have been granted a personal identity number, except for persons who have received a
temporary residence permit,
• Refugees and persons who have been
granted alternative (subsidiary protection)
status as well as their family members.
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Social Assistance: General Conditions I, 2010
Basic principles
Lithuania There are 2 main non-contributory schemes for guaranteed minimum resources:
Cash social assistance: Provided to families and single residents unable to provide themselves with sufficient resources for living. Applicants for cash social assistance are required to first and foremost provide themselves with
all possible income that they can obtain on their own. Cash social assistance is paid by municipalities from targeted subsidies allocated to them from the national budget. It comprises both Social Benefit and Reimbursement
for the Cost of House Heating and Hot and Cold Water. Both benefits are means-tested. Their amount is differential.
Social assistance pension: Aimed at ensuring a minimum standard of living for people who are at particular social
risk, i.e. disabled persons, persons who have reached retirement age, disabled or retired mothers with multiple
children and disabled or retired persons taking care of their disabled relatives. Social assistance pensions are paid
to persons who are not entitled to benefits from the budget of the State Social Insurance Fund or for whom these
benefits are very small. Social assistance pensions are paid by municipalities. The claimant is guaranteed entitlement to the benefit if s/he satisfies the conditions laid down by law. Each recipient receives a fixed amount unrelated to their income.
Entitled persons/beneficiaries
Single residents and families are entitled to
Social Benefit and Reimbursement for the
Cost of House Heating and Hot and Cold
Water if the single resident or at least one of
the spouses works or does not work because they are:
• Full-time students,
• Pensioners or individuals above retirement
age or disabled,
• Nursing a disabled or sick family member,
• Registered with the local office of Lithuanian Labour Exchange as unemployed and
receiving Unemployment Benefit or are longterm unemployed (more than 6 months),
• Taking care of a child under the age of 3
years or under the age of 8 years, if the
family is raising 3 or more children, etc.
Social assistance pension may be granted
to:
• Disabled children;
• Persons heaving reached retirement age;
Disabled persons.
Luxembourg
Guaranteed minimum income: Fight against social exclusion. To ensure sufficient means for a decent standard of Universal right.
living and measures of professional and social integration. The guaranteed minimum income consists of either an
integration allowance or a supplementary allowance aimed at compensating the difference between the highest
amounts of the guaranteed minimum income and the sum of the household resources. Subjective right, nondiscretionary. The supplementary allowance is granted either by the social assistance office of the municipality
where the claimant lives, or by the National Solidarity Fund. The integration allowance is granted by the National
Solidarity Fund. Specific guaranteed minimum income for seriously disabled persons of EUR 1,196.67 per month.
Paid by the National Solidarity Fund. Subjective right, non-discretionary.
Malta
Subjective right to a differential benefit provided by central government subject to means-testing that aims to ensure a minimum income for those unable to maintain themselves due to sickness or unemployment.
Heads of household and dependants.
"Household" means 1 person who in the
opinion of the Director is living alone or 2 or
more persons who in the opinion of the Director are living together as a family. Administratively, the head is normally considered
to be the elder member of the household.
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Social Assistance: General Conditions I, 2010
Basic principles
Entitled persons/beneficiaries
Netherlands
Work and Social Assistance Act (WWB): To provide financial assistance to every citizen resident in the Netherlands who cannot provide for the necessary costs of supporting himself or his family, or cannot do so adequately,
or who is threatened with such a situation. The Act provides financial resources to meet their essential costs. The
allowance is aimed at achieving again a position in which the claimant can independently meet the necessary
costs of living. National norms have been established. In addition, local municipalities can provide other allowances. Entitlement is not based on a subjective right.
Investment in the Young Act (WIJ): Benefit scheme for residents in a certain age category, implemented by the
municipalities.
The Act is financed through tax contributions. The basic principle of the Act is the obligation for youngsters to
either work or follow an education. This means a drastic change in the way of thinking; not an allowance, but education and/or the gaining of work experience offers the best prospect to gain a job. The ultimate goal is permanent job participation and the possibility to provide for one’s own cost of living.
A youngster who is neither employed nor following an education may ask the municipality for a work/education
offer; the municipality is obliged to provide such an offer. In case the work/education offer is insufficient to provide
for his or her own living, the person between the ages of 18-27 is entitled to an income-provision. The same applies if, due to circumstances of physical, mental or social nature, the work/education offer cannot be accepted.
The amount of the income-provision is related to the statutory amount of social assistance and depends on the
age of the person concerned, the fact whether the beneficiary is single or has a child. The income-provision in
question is additional to any other income.
The parents of 16- or 17-year-old youngsters may under certain conditions be entitled to child allowance under
the provisions of the General Child Benefit Act (AKW). Entitlement to WIJ benefits is based on a subjective right.
All persons legally residing in the Netherlands with inadequate financial resources to
meet their essential living costs.
Work and Social Assistance Act (WWB): In
principle an individual right; households
(married or unmarried couples irrespective
of sex): assistance applied for and received
by one of the partners as a family assistance; upon request half of the amount of
the assistance can be received by each of
the partners. Age must be over 27.
Investment in the Young Act (WIJ): Youngsters between age of 16 and 27 who are
neither employed nor following an education
and who reside in the Netherlands.
Poland
Permanent residents.
The aim is to enable people and families to deal with problems which they are not able to overcome with their
own resources. Benefits can be granted to persons and families whose income per capita does not exceed the
income criterion.
Subjective right with some discretionary elements (amount).
Differential and fixed amounts, according to the type of benefits.
Benefits are organised by units of central and local administration in cooperation with organisations such as foundations, associations, the Catholic Church, other churches, religious groups, trade unions, employers and natural
and legal persons.
Portugal
General system: Social integration income: Cash benefit in conjunction with a social integration programme
aimed at ensuring that individuals and their family have sufficient resources to cover their basic needs, while promoting their gradual social and professional integration. Differential amount.
Specific non-contributory minima:
• Invalidity, old age and survivors: invalidity and old-age social pension, widow(er)’s pension and orphans pension: Benefits aimed at contributing towards sufficient resources for persons who are not entitled to a contributory
pension. Fixed amount;
• Solidarity supplement for old persons: Supplement paid to elder persons, including those who are not entitled to
a contributory pension. Differential amount;
Residents without (sufficient) resources.
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Social Assistance: General Conditions I, 2010
Basic principles
Entitled persons/beneficiaries
Portugal
(cont.)
• Maternity, paternity and adoption: Social allowances in the framework of maternity, paternity and adoption protection: These means-tested benefits, which are classified similarly as those of the general system, are granted to
residents who are not covered by a compulsory social protection system or who are covered by such a system
but are not entitled to its benefits. Fixed amount;
Unemployment allowance: Granted to unemployed persons who do not fulfil the qualifying conditions for unemployment benefit. Fixed amount.
Romania
General non-contributory minimum:
Central government-controlled scheme, run by local authorities, financed by local budgets, providing a social
benefit i.e. Social Aid. The Social Aid is aimed at covering the basic needs by guaranteeing a minimum level of
income, according to the solidarity principle. It is granted on the basis of a subjective right. The Social Aid is provided in kind or in cash (differential amount). No specific non-contributory minima.
Individual and family.
Slovak
Republic
Universal non-contributory tax-financed scheme. The aim of the assistance in material need is to ensure a minimum income for those unable to maintain their basic living conditions. Benefits are organised centrally.
Differential amount of assistance in material need according to the number of household members.
Assistance in material need is granted on the basis of a subjective right (non-discretionary).
Individuals and, where applicable, households (families).
Slovenia
To provide Financial Social Assistance (FSA) to individuals and families who, for reasons beyond their control,
are temporarily unable to secure sufficient funds for basic subsistence according to statutory criteria.
Entitlement to FSA shall be asserted according to the principles of equal accessibility and free choice of forms for
all entitled persons under the conditions set forth by the Act.
There are 2 types of FSA: Ordinary FSA and extraordinary FSA. The latter type is granted in exceptional circumstances only, when a person finds him- or herself in a situation of temporary material deprivation. It is of a more
discretionary nature. The information in this Table only relates to ordinary FSA.
FSA is administered locally; it is granted by Social Work Centres. The amount of FSA is differential.
• All permanent residents fulfilling the conditions set forth by the Act.
• Those entitled on the basis of international
agreements ratified by the Republic of Slovenia.
The claimant must fulfil the required conditions, but the amount of Financial Social
Assistance he/she receives depends on the
family situation.
Spain
Tax financed non-contributory benefits for persons in determined situations of need.
Benefits are not discretionary and the amounts vary according to different factors. No general non-contributory
minimum.
Specific non-contributory minima Regionally organised:
• Non-contributory old-age pension
• Non-contributory invalidity pension
Centrally organised:
• Unemployment assistance
• Minimum for Spanish persons residing abroad and returnees
Non-contributory old-age pension: residents
over 65.
Non-contributory invalidity pension: resident
disabled persons.
Unemployment assistance: resident unemployed persons.
Minimum for Spanish persons residing
abroad and returnees: Spanish persons
residing abroad and returnees.
Sweden
Social assistance is a form of last resort assistance. The assistance is given when a person (or a family) is temporarily (for a shorter or longer period) without sufficient means to meet the necessary costs of living. Entitlement
is given to everyone assessed as in need of the support. The amount depends on the person’s needs. Social
assistance is organised locally.
In principle individual right. The situation of
the household (married or unmarried couples with minor children) is considered as a
whole.
Page 8 of 9
Social Assistance: General Conditions I, 2010
Basic principles
Entitled persons/beneficiaries
Individual entitlement, with possibility of
The following benefits are administered and paid centrally. They are granted on the basis of a subjective right.
United
supplements for dependents.
Kingdom Income Support: Means-tested, tax-financed scheme providing financial help for people who are not in full-time
work (16 hours or more a week for the claimant, 24 hours or more for claimant's partner), who are not required to
register as unemployed and whose income from all sources is below a set minimum level.
Jobseekers' Allowance (Income-based): Income-based, means-tested, tax-financed scheme for registered unemployed people whose income from all sources is below a set minimum level and who are not in full-time work (16
hours or more a week for the claimant, 24 hours or more for claimant's partner).
Pension Credit: Means-tested, tax-financed, minimum income guarantee scheme for men and women over 60.
Employment and Support Allowance: Income-based, means-tested, tax-financed social assistance scheme for
people unable to work because of sickness or disability.
Housing Benefit: Means-tested, tax-financed social assistance scheme to help people in and out of work who are
on a low income and who need help to meet their rent liability. Benefit paid through local authority (municipality).
Council Tax Benefit: Means-tested, tax-financed social assistance scheme to help people on low incomes meet
up to 100% of their liability to contribute to the cost of local authority services. Benefit paid through local authority
(municipality).
Norway
The general objective is to secure the subsistence of persons who do not have sufficient economic means to
cover basic needs through work or by filing economic claims.
• Non-contributory scheme.
• Subjective right, with discretionary elements.
• Differential amounts.
• No minimum level.
• Complementary, provisional support.
• Municipalities are legally obliged to provide social financial assistance; the claimant is guaranteed entitlement to
the benefit if s/he satisfies the conditions laid down by law.
In principle: Individual, married people and
dependent children are considered as one
economic unit. The benefit of sharing expenses is considered in common households.
Switzerland
General minimum: Not applicable.
Specific minima supplementary benefits to the 1st pillar (PC):
• Subjective (non-discretionary) right;
• 1st pillar benefits, together with the supplementary benefits, must cover the basic needs of the elderly, the disabled and survivors in an appropriate way;
• Differential amounts.
General minimum: Not applicable.
Specific minima supplementary benefits to
the 1st pillar (PC):
• Beneficiaries of an old-age pension or a
survivors’ pension of the old-age and survivors’ insurance (AVS, 1st pillar, basic
scheme);
• Beneficiaries of an invalidity pension or a
helplessness allowance of the invalidity insurance (AI, 1st pillar, basic scheme).
Source: European Commission, DG 07, MISSOC 2010 (http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/missoc/db/public/compareTables.do?lang=en), accessed 04/10/2010.
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