SYSTEM OF SOCIAL PROTECTION IN NORTH MACEDONIA

    The system of social protection in the Republic of North Macedonia is regulated by the following main laws:

    The social assistance system went through an important overhaul in June 2019.

    According to the regulations in these laws, the MK-MOD Tax and Compensation Model models the following social protection rights. In case you need a thorough description of the social benefits system before June 2019 write to us on info@financethink.mk.

    1. Guaranteed minimum assistance

    The right to guaranteed minimum assistance has a household that is materially unsecured and does not own property and property rights from which it can be sustained.

    Materially unsecured is the household whose total average income on all bases in the last three months before submitting the request for exercising the right is lower than the amount of the guaranteed minimum assistance, determined by this Law.

    The amount of the right to the guaranteed minimum assistance is calculated on the basis for one member of the household, increased by the unit of equivalent scale for the other members of the household, and at most for a total of five members in the household. The base is 4,000 MKD per month, and for each next adult member of the household, the base increases according to an equivalent scale for: the second member for a coefficient of 0.5, the third member for a coefficient of 0.4, the fourth member for a coefficient of 0.4 and the fifth member for a coefficient of 0.2. For a child member of the household, the base increases for a coefficient of 0.1.

    An equivalent scale increases by a factor of 0.5 for a single woman during pregnancy, a month before delivery, and a single parent until the child’s primary education is started, but not later than seven years of age of the child, and until the third child. An equivalent scale increases for a person who is incapable of work due to intellectual disability, physical disability, mental illness or due to permanent changes in the health status, but up to three members in the household, for the first member for a coefficient of 0.5, for the second member for a coefficient of 0.2, for the third member for a coefficient of 0.2.

    The guaranteed minimum assistance is paid in the amount of the difference from the determined amount of the guaranteed minimum assistance and the total average monthly income on all household bases, realized in the last three months.

    A household that uses a guaranteed minimum assistance, receives a cash allowance to cover part of the cost of energy consumption in the household for the months of October to March. The monthly amount of the supplement is 1.000 MKD.

    2. Disability allowance

    Disability allowance is provided for encouraging social inclusion and equal opportunities for a person who is:

    • with severe or profound intellectual disability,
    • with severe physical disability,
    • completely blind person and
    • a completely deaf person.

    Disability alowance can be obtained by a person of at least 26 years of age, until the age of 65, and used regardless of the age of the user.

    The amount of the monthly compensation due to disability is:

    • 7.204 MKD for a person with severe or profound intellectual disability, with severe physical disability, or completely blind person
    • 4,117 MKD for a completely deaf person.

    3. Allowance for assistance and care from another person

    The right to financial allowance for assistance and care from another person has a person over the age of 26 with moderate, severe or profound mental disabilities, a person with severe physical disability, a completely blind person, and a person with permanent changes in the health condition, who needs help and care from another person, because he/she cannot satisfy the basic living needs, if this right cannot be exercised on the basis of other regulations.

    The amount of compensation for assistance and care by another person is determined depending on the scope of the need for help and care from another person. The amount of the monthly allowance for assistance and care from another person to a larger extent is 4,475 MKD, while to a smaller extent it is 3,959 MKD.

    4. Salary supplement for part-time work (due to the care of a child with physical or mental disabilities)

    The right to supplement for the salary for part-time work due to care of a child with a disability and severe forms of chronic illness is exercised by the parent in the social welfare center, regardless of the age of the child. The amount of the compensation is 50% of the average net salary of the parent for the previous year, but up to 50% of the average net salary in the Republic of North Macedonia for the previous year.

    5. Other social allowances

    Other allowances include a housing allowance, a permanent allowance, and one-time cash assistance.

    The right to a housing allowance is provided for materially and housing-unsecured persons, that is, the beneficiary of the guaranteed minimum assistance and a person who, by the age of 18, had the status of a child without parents and without parental care, that is, after the termination of the guardianship, and up to 26 years age. The amount of the housing allowance is determined by the Municipality.

    The right to permanent allowance has a carer who has taken care of a person in his family and a parent who took care of a child with a disability. The amount of the permanent allowance for the caregiver is 8,000 MKD per month.

    One-off financial assistance or in-kind assistance is granted to a person or family who has been in a state of social risk, as well as to a person and family due to a natural disaster or an epidemic and a longer treatment in a health institution of a family member. The amount of the one-off cash assistance ranges from 4,500 to 180,000 MKD, depending on the risks.

    6. Child allowance

    The right to child allowance is provided to a child, a citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia, who is on regular education in the Republic of North Macedonia.

    The right to a child allowance is provided to a child until s/he is 18 years of age. The right to child allowance belongs to a child in a family whose monthly income on all household bases is lower than 6,000 MKD per member, for the remaining members by equivalent scale: for the second 0.5, for the third 0.4, for the fourth 0.4, for the fifth 0.2, for the sixth 0.1, for the seventh 0.1, for the eighth of 0.1, and for up to eight members, and for a single parent, the equivalent scale increases by 0.5.

    The amount of the right to child allowance depends on the number of children in the family and the age of children. If the family does not have a child or children who are at school age, the amount of the right for one child is 1.200 MKD per month, while for two or more children in the family it is 1.900 MKD per month. If there is a child in the family, that is, children of school age enrolled in the schools in the Republic, the amount of the right for one child is 1.000 MKD per month, while for two or more children it is 1.600 MKD per month. If there are two or more children in the family, and if one of the children is at school age enrolled in a school in the Republic, the amount of the right is 1.600 MKD per month.

    The maximum amount of child allowance that a family can receive is MKD 2,415.

    7. Special child allowance

    For a child with specific needs that has physical or mental disabilities or combined developmental disabilities up to 26 years of age, a special allowance is provided as a financial allowance.

    The right to a special allowance belongs to one of the parents, guardian or a person who has been entrusted with the decision of the competent Center for social work and lives in the family with him, with a permanent place of residence in the Republic of North Macedonia, if the child is a citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia with a permanent place of residence in the Republic of North Macedonia until the age of 26 years, unless it is institutionally cared for by the state.

    The amount of the special allowance is 4,202 MKD.

    • The amount of the special allowance increases by 50% and amounts to 6,303 MKD for a single parent who has a child with specific needs that has physical or mental disability or combined developmental disabilities up to 26 years of age.
    • The amount of the special allowance increases by 25% and amounts to 5,252.50 MKD for materially unsecured parents who are beneficiaries of guaranteed minimum assistance, who have a child with specific needs that has physical or mental developmental disorders or combined disabilities in development up to 26 years of age

    8. Parental Allowances

    One-off financial assistance for a newborn is provided to a family for the first and second births. The right to use a one-off financial assistance for a newborn child shall be one of the parents, a citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia with permanent residence in the Republic of North Macedonia for a child born on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia. The amount of one-off financial assistance for the first newborn is 5,000 MKD and for the second is 20,000 MKD.

    The right to parental allowance for a child belongs to a mother for her third live-born child. The right is exercised by a mother who is a citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia with a permanent place of residence in the Republic of North Macedonia for the last three years before submitting the application. The parental allowance for a third child is paid monthly, for a period of ten years. The amount of the right is in the amount of 8.362,00 MKD. The right to a parental allowance for a third child shall be exercised if the total average income of the mother’s family on all grounds in the last three months before submitting the request for exercising the right to use and during the exercise of the right, is lower than the amount of the minimum net wage established for the previous year.

    9. Education allowance

    Education allowance is provided to cover part of the household expenses associated with a regular visit to compulsory education for children.

    The right to education allowance belongs to a household with a child who is in regular schooling in primary or secondary education in schools in the Republic of North Macedonia, verified by the Ministry of Education and Science and enrolled in the Central Register of the Republic of North Macedonia, whose total average income on all grounds in the last three months before submitting the application has been lower than 6,000 MKD per member, for the remaining members on an equivalent scale: for the second 0.5, for the third 0.4, for the fourth 0.4, for the fifth 0.2, for sixth 0.1, for the seventh 0.1, for the eighth of 0.1, and up to eight members, and for a single parent, the equivalent scale increases by 0.5, if the household does not own property and property rights to support .

    The payment of the education allowance will be made to the mother, for whose child / children the education allowance is paid for the current school year.

    The amount of the educational allowance is 700 MKD per month for a pupil in primary education and 1,000 MKD per month for a pupil in secondary education during the school year. The annual amount of the education allowance for primary education in the school year per child is 8,400 MKD, while for secondary education in the school year per child it is 12,000 MKD.

    The payment of the right to education will be carried out until the child meets the requirement for attendance at 85% of the realized teaching hours for each of the measuring periods provided for in this Law, and for the beneficiaries of guaranteed minimum assistance until the household uses this right.

    10. Social pension

    The right to social security for the elderly is exercised by the person if he/she:

    • holds citizenship of the Republic of North Macedonia;
    • has a permanent place of residence in the Republic of North Macedonia in the last 15 years before submitting the application;
    • does not own any property or property rights from which it can be supported;
    • is not a pension beneficiary from the Republic of North Macedonia or a type of payment based on old age, disability or experience from another country;
    • did not realize income on all bases in the last three months before submitting the request.

    The conditions for property, the use of another pension, and the receipt of other income, also apply to the spouse or the person with whom s/he lives in a non-marital union.

    The amount of the monthly amount of the right to social security for the elderly is 6.000 MKD. The beneficiary of the right to social security for the elderly has the right to a financial allowance for covering part of the expenditures for energy consumption in the household for the months from October to March in the amount of 1,000 MKD per month.

    11. Compensation in case of unemployment

    The right to financial compensation belongs to an unemployed person who has been in employment for at least nine months continuously or 12 months with interruptions in the last 18 months.

    The right to financial compensation belongs to an unemployed person for the time spent in employment, for which contributions from compulsory social insurance have been paid, as follows:

    • in full-time employment;
    • in a working relationship with part-time work, calculated in full-time;
    • in a fixed-term employment (seasonal work) longer than 40 hours per week, if that time is calculated in length of service and
    • for work abroad.

    For the exercise of the right to a monetary compensation as time spent in employment, the time for which the unemployed person received a financial allowance is not considered.

    The amount of the monthly unemployment benefit is determined on the basis of the calculated and paid salaries with the employer in accordance with the law, collective agreement and employment contract and amounts to 50% of the average monthly net salary of the employee for the last 24 months for a person entitled for a monetary compensation up to 12 months, and for a person who is entitled to monetary compensation for more than 12 months, the monetary compensation for the first 12 months is 50% of the average monthly net salary of the employee for the last 24 months, and for the remainder of time, 40% of the average monthly net salary. The compensation cannot exceed 80% of the average monthly net salary per employee in the Republic, published for the last month.

    The monetary compensation of the unemployed person is paid for:

    • 1 month, if there is an insurance period of at least 9 months for an uninterrupted duration or 12 months with interruptions in the last 18 months;
    • 2 months, if there is an insurance period of over 18 months to 2.5 years;
    • 3 months, if there is an insurance term of more than 2.5 to 5 years;
    • 4 months, if there is an insurance period of 5 to 7.5 years;
    • 5 months, if there is an insurance term of more than 7.5 to 10 years;
    • 6 months, if there is an insurance period of 10 to 12.5 years;
    • 7 months, if there is an insurance period of more than 12.5 to 15 years;
    • 8 months, if there is an insurance period of more than 15 to 17.5 years;
    • 9 months, if there is an insurance coverage of 17.5 to 20 years;
    • 10 months if there is an insurance period of over 20 to 22.5 years;
    • 11 months, if there is an insurance period of more than 22.5 to 25 years; and
    • 12 months, if there is an insurance period of over 25 years.

    The unemployed person who has over 15 years of insurance, and who has been unemployed (made redundant) for up to 18 months prior to fulfilling the conditions for acquiring the right to old-age pension, shall be paid the monetary compensation until his re-employment, i.e. until the beginning of some of the grounds for termination of the right to monetary compensation.