In Tajikistan, the amount of social assistance for low-income citizens will be increased. Asia-Plus asked Deputy Minister of Health Shodikhon Jamshed which families are considered low-income and who is responsible for providing social assistance to them.
Last week, Asia-Plus reported that the social assistance payments in Tajikistan would be increased, with government support rising to 792 somoni from the current 720 somoni.
But who qualifies as low-income?
The legal, financial, and organizational principles for providing targeted social assistance to low-income citizens (families) are defined by the Law "On Targeted Social Assistance" from February 24, 2017, No. 1396.
According to the appendix to the government's decree of May 14, 2020, No. 271, "The Procedure for Assigning, Financing, and Paying Targeted Social Assistance to Low-Income Families and Citizens" (Clause 2), low-income status is determined based on the Methodology for Determining Low-Income Families and Citizens, developed and approved by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection in coordination with the Ministry of Finance and the Agency for Statistics.
According to the Methodology for Determining Low-Income Families and Citizens for Targeted Social Assistance:
- Information about indicators determining the welfare of a family is processed using an automated data processing system.
- Each indicator has a specific weight (value) based on its impact on the family’s welfare, calculated with consideration of its correlation with poverty levels.
- Based on the weight of each indicator, an individual assessment is made, and a family’s welfare index is determined, measured in points.
The number of points is calculated automatically using a special formula for residents of urban and rural areas separately, taking into account the family's region of residence.
Social assistance is paid in cash or transferred to a special bank account of the recipient, and also via banking cards through service centers of Amonatbonk (Tajikistan’s savings bank) at the applicant’s place of residence.
Low-income status entitles individuals to:
- One-time emergency assistance. For example, during the coronavirus pandemic, this amounted to 500 somonis; currently, it is 600 somonis. These are one-off payments.
- Funeral assistance for a family member in the amount of 20 calculation units (this is paid by the Agency for Social Insurance and Pensions).
- Discounts on medical treatments in state medical institutions beyond the list of free services, according to the government's decree from December 2, 2008, No. 600 "On the Procedure for Providing Medical Services to Citizens of the Republic of Tajikistan by State Healthcare Institutions."
- Material and other forms of assistance provided by local government authorities.
Low-income status is valid for 12 months from the date of assigning targeted assistance.
