The amount of social welfare, although a few years ago was increased from 65 euros to 120 to 150 euros, depending on the number of family members, did not solve all the existential problems of the people who need help from the state the most. In these February winter days, about a hundred socially endangered families with sick, elderly or unemployed members, or more children are supported by that assistance, their condition and position are aggravated by additional interruptions in the receipt of money due to unpaid debts. There are many families, utility bills are higher than the amount of social assistance. They are left without any income and live in fear of further impoverishment.
Macedonia has 32 thousand beneficiaries of social welfare, and due to the pandemic an additional number of 5.500 citizens are registered as social welfare users. They receive additional 15 euros for bills due to the pandemic.
The NGO Sector says that the aid, which for some is not enough to even pay the bills, is additionally reduced due to the money that the people have to give to the banks in order to unblock their bank accounts. They say that some of the debt collectors, when the activists hand them a confirmation paper that the individual is a social welfare user, their accounts are unblocked, however the bank still charges them at around 25 euros for provision, and in case if the debt collector is out of the country, the beneficiaries cannot get their welfare due to the fact that their accounts are blocked.
