New state benefits proposed in Kazakhstan

Tengrinews.kz - State payments for guardians of legally incapacitated adults are being proposed in Kazakhstan. Mazhilis deputy Adil Zhubanov addressed the relevant parliamentary inquiry to Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov.
According to him, representatives of this category currently have no social protection at all, which is a systemic problem.

“The current system of social support does not provide even basic social guarantees. Today there is no state payment for providing constant care, no recognition of the guardianship period as part of work experience, no mandatory pension contributions paid by the state, and no legally defined status for this category of guardians,” Zhubanov said at a plenary session of the Mazhilis.

He noted that guardians effectively bear round-the-clock responsibility for the life and safety of legally incapacitated citizens, but at the same time are forced to give up employment and lose pension savings.

“A person providing constant care is forced to give up work and in the future ends up in a zone of social risk,” the deputy stressed.

What the deputy proposed
In this regard, the Mazhilis member proposed making amendments to the legislation.

“It is proposed to establish state payments for guardians of adults declared legally incapacitated by a court, include the guardianship period in work experience, make pension contributions at the expense of the state, and establish the legal status of this category as a subject of social protection,” he said.

It is also proposed to determine the number of such citizens and the possible sources of funding.

“Today a paradoxical situation has developed: the state recognizes the need to support people with disabilities, but in practice does not support those who provide them with daily care,” the deputy added.

Zhubanov noted that in a number of countries, caring for legally incapacitated adults is recognized as a socially significant activity and is accompanied by state payments and pension support.