Serbian Parent‑Caregiver Law Faces Criticism Over Limited Coverage

The Serbian government has approved a draft "Law on the status of parent‑caregiver" that would grant a monthly allowance of 65,000 dinars to parents caring for severely disabled children, along with pension and health‑insurance contributions. The draft limits eligibility to parents who are unemployed, have no permanent or occasional jobs and are not pensioners, projecting that only about 3,270 families would obtain the status instead of the roughly 50,000 families that qualify under current needs.

Opposition MP Tatjana Pašić of the Freedom and Justice Party (SSP) described the proposal as a “big fraud of the Serbian government,” arguing that it discriminates against more than 50,000 families and fails to align with European standards. She emphasized that many children with disabilities are denied increased care benefits due to cumbersome procedures and ineffective commissions, and called for a law that supports all caregivers regardless of employment status.

The draft also maintains that parents retain caregiver status after their children reach adulthood, and it defines a pension age of 65 for caregivers. Officials estimate that the number of beneficiaries could rise as the law is implemented, but critics warn that the limited scope will leave the majority of affected families without needed support.