Proposals for social assistance and services

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on improving the targeting of social assistance and introducing a new system of care for people with disabilities. He issued the corresponding directive at a video conference meeting on December 13. Experts developed several proposals based on global experience and modern trends.

Under the new system, families included in the Register of Poor Families will receive social assistance from the Women’s Notebook and Youth Notebook programs. Authorities will distribute funds proportionally based on population size, the number of people with disabilities, and low-income families in different districts and cities. Families recognized as poor will automatically qualify for social assistance without submitting additional applications or documents.

The government will eliminate inefficient and unused types of social assistance and replace them with a unified list of 28 essential programs. The State Health Insurance Fund will cover expenses for medical treatment and surgical operations financed through the social notebooks. Local governments will create Infrastructure and Social Stability Funds to address socio-economic, organizational, and infrastructure challenges in the regions. These funds will also support healthy lifestyles, sports development, and environmental protection initiatives.

President emphasized the importance of providing special care for children with disabilities. To address this need, authorities will introduce a daycare service for children with disabilities aged 3 to 18 through a public-private partnership. Parents will enroll their children based on a social contract and a recommendation from a psychological-medical-pedagogical commission. By the end of the year, around 2,000 children with severe disabilities will gain access to this service, allowing their mothers to work and continue their education.

The government will launch the Children’s Health information system to track the diagnoses of children with disabilities. These children will receive comprehensive medical, rehabilitation, educational, and social services. Care services will receive subsidies for each child, along with concessional loans for procurement. Parents will not pay taxes on daycare fees up to 3 million soums per month.

During the presentation, officials also outlined measures to help families overcome poverty. The government follows a seven opportunities and responsibilities approach to support struggling families. The Register of Poor Families system evaluates a family’s socio-economic status, income, and assets. As a result, 48,000 citizens found employment, more than 10,000 completed vocational training, and 14,000 received loans and subsidies. Doctors now assist 140,000 families, while social services support 38,000 citizens. Additionally, 32,000 children enrolled in kindergartens, and nearly 7,000 young people received university preparation assistance.

President approved the proposals and instructed officials to consider employability when working with low-income families. He also emphasized the need to provide state social protection for those unable to work and support their integration into society.