Bojan Regvar, the secretary of the Social Chamber of Slovenia (SZS), is convinced that the eventual two-percent reduction of social transfers would not save the country, but only deepen the poverty.

In 2012 the State saved 103 million Euros in the field of social transfers, and if 2013 including the month of September is taken in consideration as well, we can easily say that the recipients of social transfers helped the state with 150 million, Regvar states.

By his calculations two-percent reduction of all social transfers, which this year amount to 700 million, would result in approximately 14 million in savings. According to informal information the proposal for the reduction of social transfers has already been put on the government table. We checked the accuracy of the information at the Ministry of labour, family, social affairs and equal opportunities.

The minister: The possibilities for savings at social transfers are exhausted

"The dialogue on the budget is still on-going, but the minister dr. Kopač Mrak warns that the possibilities for savings in the field of social transfers are more or less exhausted," was the Ministry's reply to MMC enquiry.

And what would be the impact of an eventual reduction of transfers on the recipients of various social allowances? »I don't believe anything fatal would happen if a person receiving 260 Euros of social aid would receive five Euros less, which equals 2 percent of the aid. He/she might not even notice it. A person receiving this transfer obviously needs to find other sources as well; he/she needs to find some undeclared work or informal work of any kind, he/she has to rely on the network of relatives, Red Cross, Karitas. It can't be considered a radical approach, but at the same time this approach does not show the State’s respect of the previously accepted rules«,Regvar continues.

Without transfers one quarter of the citizens would be poor

The level of poverty in Slovenia amounts to approximately 13,6 percent, and this low level is maintained by the transfers. Without them the level of poverty would reach 24,2 percent. »As the scale of funds for transfers is diminishing, the 10 percent share the State is paying in order to reduce poverty becomes increasingly limited. The new data expected in autumn will escalate, and result in hair-tearing and wondering what had happened and whether we are turning into Bangladesh,« Regvar claims.

According to data by SZS there are approximately 500 thousands recipients of the social transfers, and within a year and a half decisions had to be made regarding 900 thousand applications. 1,1 million decisions were granted, while 1,8 million were considered, as some individuals are entitled to more than one.