Unified social assistance depending on basic family income may appear in Ukraine in 2024 – Zholnovych
Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Oksana Zholnovych has said that in 2024, unified guaranteed social assistance, which will depend on the basic family income, may appear in Ukraine.
"According to our data, the real cost of living is more than UAH 6,000. What do we want to do to untie it from these aggravating factors that today do not allow it to really increase? We'll simply reformat our poverty assistance in such a way that it is not tied to this subsistence minimum, but on the contrary, to a certain basic family income, which we guarantee for each family member," Zholnovych said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
The minister said that the ministry is already working on this bill in the central executive authorities, and she hopes that it will be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada soon.
"This is approximately what it will look like. The basic value for the first family member is 100% and is equal to, say, the same UAH 6,000, because if he or she lives on their own, they must spend money on all basic needs. If there is a family of three people – mom, dad, child, then we say that the first should definitely have 100%, the second we will count 70%, if it is a child, then this is of course 100%, because the costs for a child will be a little higher if it is a person with disability, also 100%, if this person is of retirement age, but has a low pension, this is also 100%," she said.
That is, according to her, depending on the category, a person will receive 100% or 70% of the basic income. "Then we add up everything that these people receive and see if this basic income comes out for everyone. If it doesn't work out, we cover the difference with this unified social assistance," Zholnovych added.
When asked whether such a basic income and guaranteed basic social assistance will be introduced as early as 2024, the minister emphasized that at the moment it is difficult to predict how the bill will pass through parliament.
"If it had passed quickly, then it would have been possible to introduce this from July 2024," she said.
