Macedonia to evaluate welfare recipients' claims more stringently

Macedonian parliament adopted changes on Thursday to grant welfare institutions greater power to verify welfare recipients' claims more stringently in a bid to regulate welfare abuse, Macedonian Information Agency reported.

Macedonian labor and welfare ministry, the employment agency, and the health care insurance fund were awarded the right to access welfare beneficiaries' bank accounts to check the economic status of the recipients.

"The aim of the bill is to allow the institutions to verify data that is being given by persons seeking welfare, unemployment benefits and free health care. The banks will give information only if they sign a memorandum with the three institutions," Macedonian Deputy Finance Minister Ardijan Dzeladini said.

The newly-passed law is expected to deal with situations when well-off people who have undeclared incomes, either from remittances or making money by cash, apply for welfare benefits designed for vulnerable people.

"They take money from persons who are more needy. The goal is to prevent persons with high savings to use welfare benefits," Silvana Karapetrova, a representative from Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (VMRO-DPMNE) said.

But some opposing representatives denounced the bill amid concerns that people's rights of privacy would be intruded and there was no guarantee that the number of persons covered by this intrusion in bank privacy would not be increased. Endit