Armenia to implement new welfare assessment model, replacing family benefits

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YEREVAN, July 11. /ARKA/. The Armenian government approved changes to introduce a new model for assessing neediness, the country’s Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan announced on Thursday./pp

The reforms will replace family benefits with need-based allowances. Mkrtchyan stated that the new allowances will be provided to families whose monthly income falls below a threshold, which will be reviewed annually based on the minimum consumer basket or the extreme poverty level./pp

With the new program, able-bodied citizens seeking benefits will be required to seek employment. If a citizen applies for an allowance, they will be treated as a job applicant. Refusing a job offer will prevent the individual from further receiving allowance.nbsp;/pp

Sanctions will also be imposed on families that restrict children's access to education. Mkrtchyan emphasized the importance of ensuring that all children receive secondary education. Low-income families will receive healthcare and education benefits, and university students from needy families will have access to tuition discounts./pp

The pilot version of the new allowance system will be launched in one of Armenia’s provinces within the next two months and will gradually be implemented nationwide./pp

According to the ministry's estimates, this will allow the authorities to employ around 30,000 individuals from needy families./pp

The Unified Social Service reported earlier that the number of families receiving benefits in Armenia had decreased to 82,000 by the end of 2023./p br br