At the stage of transition from the system of centralized planning of the economy to market relations, the level of well-being of the population decreased, there was a polarization of society by income, most of the population moved into the category of people in dire need. As a result, there is a high level of unemployment, the number of workers on forced simple and unpaid leave, emigration, and the level of reproduction of the population has decreased.
Due to the weak pace of development of individual sectors of the economy, weak growth in GDP , national profits and the state budget, the presence of an extensive shadow economy, the possibilities for creating relationships and developing social security are extremely limited.
Content
Social Security
The current pension system in Armenia is funded on the basis of generational solidarity, that is, the size of the pensions is determined by the insurance contributions of the working population.
At present, pension provision only slightly exceeds pension payments, which creates serious difficulties both for the timely payment of pensions and for their increase.
If under the conditions of a planned economy, payments for compulsory social insurance were sufficient to ensure a high ratio of the average wage to average pension, today, due to the reduction in the public sector of the economy and the expansion of the shadow economy, the tax base has been significantly reduced, from which compulsory social insurance fees are charged.
At the transitional stage, the solution of the social problems of especially vulnerable groups of the population — the disabled and the elderly — has acquired particular importance.
The standard of living of people with disabilities is below the average standard of living in the republic.
Social policy in relation to people with disabilities is mainly carried out by direct cash payments - pensions, benefits, monetary compensation. However, this approach does not take into account the possibilities of independent life support for people with disabilities, their abilities and needs, does not orient society and people with disabilities to the development of personality and the use of internal potential, does not contribute to their integration into society. In the system of social protection of persons with disabilities, their medical and social rehabilitation is extremely important, which includes comprehensive measures aimed at medical, labor, psychological and social rehabilitation of the individual.
In the process of developing a social protection strategy, special attention is paid to the problems of children who are in the zone of social risk - especially the homeless and deprived of parental care, as well as the task of integrating adult children from orphanages into society.
The most vulnerable social groups include families headed by single mothers ( widows ). The number of such families in Armenia in 2002 is about 55 thousand, which have 64 thousand children under their care. Among them, 23841 (38%) are children of single mothers, 11124 (17%) are divorced, and 28831 (45%) are male breadwinners. Children of single-parent families are the main contingent of orphanages.
A number of orphanages operate in Armenia - 5 Ministry of Social Security, 2 - Ministry of Science and Education, 1 - under the city council of Gyumri and 3 - non-state kindergartens, where a total of 1,000 children are brought up.
In recent years, the number of children with both parents has increased in boarding schools, which is caused by the extreme lack of families. Due to the lack of targeted prevention programs, this trend can be transformed into a dangerous social pattern.
In the structure of the population, the largest socially vulnerable group is elderly people, the number of which is quite large: people over 60 years old make up about 20%, and 10% are single people who need social support and services.
The increase in the number of elderly people is mainly associated with the emigration of the able-bodied part of the population - young people, which is also a consequence of the unfavorable socio-economic situation in the country (low pensions and benefits, lack of jobs, etc.). In the social insurance system of Armenia, there are two boarding houses with 450 pensioners. The number of people wishing to settle in boarding houses is large. The Center for Pensioners' Social Services has the only home office for single elderly people serving about 900 pensioners living in Yerevan, and on August 1, 1998 new home services were created - medical, legal, psychological, and also a helpline.
For certain groups of the population, including persons with disabilities, participants in the Second World War, etc., there is a privilege to receive free medical care as part of a state order.
For 2002, about 20,000 participants in World War II live in Armenia, including 9,000 people with disabilities, whose main problems are the same as those of the elderly and the disabled. [one]
Organizations
In Armenia, the State Social Insurance Fund of Armenia (formerly the Pension Fund of Armenia) is engaged in social protection by the state
See also
- Armenian economy
- Unemployment in Armenia
Notes
- ↑ Vardevanyan Ashot (program manager). National Action Program to Combat Desertification in Armenia . - Yerevan, 2002. - ISBN 99930-935-6-4 .