Ministry of Social Affairs reforms specialized care system: support reaches beneficiaries faster

The Ministry of Social Affairs has submitted a draft bill to public consultation that will make access to specialized care services faster and simpler. Under the new rules, people with urgent needs will receive services as a priority, and the requirement to submit duplicate applications will be eliminated. Local authorities will also be able to offer new service slots to their residents.

The Ministry of Social Affairs has launched a comprehensive reform of the specialized care system, submitting a draft bill to public consultation that is intended to ensure beneficiaries receive necessary support more quickly in the future. The changes affect both how services are requested and how they are organized.

One of the main changes in the draft bill is that people with urgent care needs will receive specialized care services on a priority basis going forward. This means that people in the most vulnerable situations will no longer have to wait in queue as long as they do at present.

Additionally, duplicate applications, which have burdened both service users and officials, will be eliminated. The current system has often required the same information to be submitted repeatedly, which prolonged processing times and created unnecessary bureaucracy.

An important change also affects local authorities: they will now be able to offer newly created service slots on a priority basis to their own residents. This should strengthen local care coordination and ensure that people receive necessary support closer to home.