Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.3935/rsp.v11i1.66
Access to General Social Assistance Rights
Zoran Šućur
; Studijski centar socijalnog rada, Pravni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Abstract
The first part of the paper analyses basic programs of general social assistance and their role within the system of ‘social welfare’. The importance of the aforementioned programs is illustrated through basic indicators that show the numerousness of the users’ population and expenses for the programs. The central part is dedicated to the legal framework of general social assistance, main obstacles in the realisation of rights and key measures of improving the access to general social assistance rights. The constitutional and legal bases for the right to social assistance, manners of its financing and potential users are outlined. The main obstacles or problems in the realisation of the general social assistance rights are those connected to legal stipulations (unclear legal regulations, the absence of regulations for its implementation, frequent changes of laws), problems of administrativeprocedural nature (long appeal procedures, insufficient co-ordination between social welfare centres and civil society organisations, lack of co-ordination between the actors on the local level, imbalance in resources between different levels of government), problems connected to financial means and staff (lack of financial means and low benefits, insufficient number of professionals, lack of training, inadequate equipment and space). Among other barriers, the author points out insufficient level of information about the rules among citizens and stigmatisation. Among the measures for the improvement of access to general social assistance rights the following should be singled out: increase of financial means for social benefits and their adjustment to cost of living, wider co-operation between social welfare centres and civil society organisations, better co-operation with the local government and introduction of information technology.
Keywords
general social assistance; access to social rights; stigmatisation; obstacles in the access to general social assistance
Hrčak ID:
30280
URI
Publication date:
1.1.2004.
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