THE SOCIAL ASSISTANCE SYSTEM AS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF THE SOCIAL PROTECTION OF THE POPULATION

Abstract

The main feature that distinguishes the programs in the field of social assistance from the rest of the social protection system is the lack of a requirement for contribution to the system by the beneficiary. This means that every person or household has the right to be included in a program, provided that it meets certain criteria without necessarily having contributed in any way to the financing of the system. Some of the main indicators considered for this purpose are income, property, marital status, health status, employment, age and others. This approach allows us to make an important distinction between the social assistance system and the other elements of the social protection system. Social assistance systems are part of the social protection system. In this study, an adapted version of the basic model of the World Bank was adopted, demonstrating the scope of social protection systems and their connection with other parts of the social system. Comparative analyzes between social systems in different countries are hampered by a number of factors, including the diverse range of programs and the criteria they apply, as well as the different socio-economic conditions and demographics of individual countries. The aim is to present the great importance of the types of social benefits for the population and their beneficial effect. The results will clearly show that Bulgaria lags behind the developed countries in its policy, which it offers as types of social benefits. Given the ever-shrinking size of the country's workforce and aging population, maintaining the current structure of the social assistance system could have very negative consequences. The problem is especially serious if we take into account the need to update the amount of some of the social payments. In these circumstances, the social assistance system should aim not only to reduce the negative effects of poverty through various remittances, but also to identify and eliminate the causes of the need for social assistance - at least where possible. The main recommendations are related to transparency in the decisions of the administrative bodies and analysis of the impact of the current and proposed changes. Improving the information provision of policies is crucial for the effectiveness of the system. Increasing the effectiveness of social benefits requires administrative authorities to know the specific factors that hinder the social and labor inclusion of each of the groups of beneficiaries. The creation of a unified information system of social assistance, which is accessible to all administrative bodies whose activities are related to servicing the beneficiaries of the programs, is a prerequisite for the timely identification of ineffective programs and abuses, as well as for the analysis of measures already taken.