Over One-Third of Children Receive Subsistence Allowance, Reports Local Watchdog
According to the Social Justice Center’s report, as of May 2023, 254,333 children, or 28.3% of all minors, were receiving subsistence allowance in Georgia, which means that approximately one in three children receives this support. Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase of 146.3% in the number of children receiving subsistence allowance.
341,002 children are registered in the socially vulnerable population base, representing 38% of the total number of children. The government has made some positive policy changes for children receiving social assistance, according to the SJC. For children up to the age of 16, the pointს limit for receiving child benefit has been increased and is currently 120,000 points. The monthly allowance for minors will also increase – from July 2023, the social allowance for each child under 16 in the family will be GEL 200.
Despite this, international studies show that a significant proportion of impoverished children remain excluded from the child benefit system. In 2018, a study by the International Labor Organization found that only 43% of the poorest 10% of minors received targeted child benefits. Similarly, the United Nations Children’s Fund reported in 2019 that the targeted social assistance program covered only 37% of children living below the poverty line. According to the Foundation’s 2023 report, 47% of children facing material and social disadvantages are still not included in the social assistance system.
Also Read:
- 01/06/2023 – Partnership for Human Rights Speaks of Problems in Children’s Rights and Welfare
- 20/04/2023 – Survey: 38% of Children in Georgia Face Material and Social Deprivation
- 01/06/2022 – Assistance to Socially Vulnerable Children Raised to GEL 150
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