The Court of the European Union has allowed member states to impose additional conditions for receiving social assistance by foreigners. This decision may also affect Ukrainians who are in the EU without permanent residence status. This is reported by “inPoland”.
Social assistance in the EU for foreigners new access rules
The basis for the decision was the case of an Albanian citizen who had legally resided in Italy for over 10 years and had a work permit, but remained unemployed. She applied for a social pension supplement for low-income individuals, but was denied.
The reason was that the woman did not have long-term resident status.
The EU court recognized such a denial as lawful and clarified that states can impose additional requirements for access to assistance if it concerns budget payments not tied to insurance contributions.
Possible conditions include:
- Having long-term or permanent residence
- Confirmation of integration in the country
- Absence of temporary residence status.
Payments for Ukrainians in the EU what may change
The decision means that EU countries have more freedom in defining access rules to social payments for foreigners who are unemployed.
This primarily concerns:
- Social benefits
- Assistance for low-income individuals
- Other payments funded from the state budget
At the same time, this does not apply to payments related to insurance contributions.
In practice, this may lead to stricter requirements for Ukrainians who are in the EU on a temporary basis or do not have permanent residence status. In particular, some countries may require a longer residence period or proof of integration.
The EU Court's decision does not introduce automatic changes but creates a legal basis for a possible review of social policies in member states.
Let us remind you, new rules for providing basic social assistance in Ukraine will simplify life for citizens. Now Ukrainians only need the mobile application “Dіia” to apply for assistance.