Pursuant to the Social Security Act, financial social assistance provides the users with means for meeting minimum needs in the amount guaranteeing their subsistence. Subsistence is considered to be provided if the entitled person receives income, after deduction of taxes and compulsory social security contributions, amounting to the minimum income.

From 1. 7. 2008 the basic minimum income amounts to EUR 221,70.

The persons who are entitled to cash social assistance do not have any income or receive income below the above stated amount.  In case of no income, the entitled persons receive the full stated amount; otherwise, they are entitled to receive the difference between own income and the above stated amount.

When assessing the eligibility, the account is taken of the ceiling as well as of the fact whether an individual or family has assets enabling subsistence, whether all other rights were exercised (social assistance is the last of the rights within the system, eligible when all other subsistence options are exhausted) and whether the person concerned is active in seeking solutions to his/her problem. The latter is of particular importance to all who can work and must be registered with the Employment Service of Slovenia, participate in offered programmes of active employment policy and actively seek employment.

The amount of finacial social assistance to entitled persons who do not have their own income pursuant to the Social Security Act is set in the amount of the minimum income. Twice a year, namely in January and July, the basic amount of the minimum income, set forth in the Act, is adjusted to the rise in consumer prices according to the data of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia.

The amount of financial social assistance to other entitled persons is determined as the difference between the minimum income to which the eligible person is entitled and his/her income determined in the manner specified by the Act. The amount of cash financial assistance to a family is determined as the difference between the sum of minimum incomes to which individual eligible persons or family members are entitled, and the incomes of all the family members.

The amount of the minimum income for individual family members is determined in proportion to the minimum income using the following scale:

• first adult person in the family: 1
• every next adult person in the family: 0.7
• hild up to 18 years of age and a child that has to be supported by the parents because of regular schooling: 0.3.

The amount of the minimum income for a single-parent family is increased by 30 % of the basic amount of the minimum income.

From 1. 7. 2008 the amount of the minimum income giving entitlement to financial social assistance is as follows:

• for a single person and the first adult in the family: EUR 221,70
• for every next adult person in the family: EUR 155,19
• for a child: EUR 66,51 
• increase for single parent family: EUR 66,51 

Financial social assistance is not granted to a single person or a family with savings or property amounting to or exceeding the level of 60 minimum incomes.

Exceptional financial social assistance

Exceptional cash social assistance can be granted in exceptional circumstances. It can also be granted in cases where the ceiling set for financial social assistance is surpassed but the entitled person is found in financial distress for reasons beyond his/her control. The entitled person must use the received assistance for the purpose for which it was granted.

If the entitled person fails to submit documents evidencing the use of the received funds to the competent social work centre within 15 days of the receipt of the cash assistance or the supporting documents reveal that the cash assistance was not used for the defined purposes, the entitlement of the person concerned to a one-off special assistance or to special assistance ceases for 18 months following the receipt of the special cash social assistance.

Regardless of the fact that the person concerned does not have enough means of subsistence, he/she is not entitled to financial social assistance if established that such situation is caused through his/her own fault.

The decision concerning the entitlement to financial social assistance is taken by social work centres; they issue a decision and the entitled person can appeal against it with the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs.

Financial social assistance is initially granted for a maximum period of three months and can be granted again for a maximum period of six months (depending on the circumstances to be evaluated by the social work centre’s official); provided that the improvement of the beneficiary’s social position cannot be expected (aged over 60, illness or disability) such assistance can be granted for a maximum period of one year; permanent financial assistance is granted to a person aged over 60 or permanently incapable of work, without any income, receipts or property and with no person obliged to provide for his/her subsistence and living at his/her home.