Social welfare assistance will go up to 385 euros until the end of the year, while next year it will drop to 331 euros. According to the Slovenian Friends of Youth Association, families will now receive higher financial assistance for every child.

However, the adoption of the higher assistance measure has also caused uproar, as the difference between the minimum wage and social assistance is getting smaller. Humanitarian organizations support higher financial assistance, but also warn that the funds in question will only cover the very basic needs. They believe that social assistance should be raised permanently.
"Employed people come to Caritas for help. That’s why we think dialogue between the social partners on raising the minimum wage, which would ensure a dignified life, should continue," stresses Cveto Uršič, the secretary general at Slovenia’s Caritas.

NGOs warn that the Ministry of Labour should pay out the additional 87 euros of financial assistance automatically to all those eligible. In September, scholarships for children receiving assistance will be given out automatically. The higher assistance will then be taken into account, regardless of the fact whether the family has indeed received it, which means parents may move to higher income brackets.

A few years ago, during the crisis, people were also given short-term social assistance. Now, despite the thriving economy, there are ever more people in need of permanent assistance.