Slovakia social benefit and child welfare legislative reform

The Slovak Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family has submitted a legislative package to the government to combat truancy and the misuse of social support. A key component of the proposal involves addressing fictitious foster care and preventing the abuse of child benefits by non-resident foreign nationals from third countries.

To address truancy, the Ministry proposes that if a child fails to attend school, a municipality may be designated as a special recipient of the child benefit for an initial three-month period. The municipality would then determine how to utilize these funds for the family’s benefit. If truancy continues, payments to the parents would be suspended in subsequent three-month increments until the issue is resolved.

Parallel to these social policy reviews, the government is also considering an amendment to extend child benefit payments to university students up to the age of 26. This remains tied to stricter residency requirements for children of foreign workers, mandating permanent or temporary residence in Slovakia to qualify, alongside provisions that allow for the suspension of benefits if parental duties or school attendance are neglected.