The Ministry of Social Welfare announces legal amendments early next year, while citizens warn of repeatedly missed deadlines and an alarming situation
Nearly 97,000 requests for the inclusive allowance in Croatia are still awaiting resolution, despite the Ministry of Social Welfare having doubled the number of monthly assessments. In two and a half years, institutions have received more than 400,000 requests, with a quarter still pending, as reported by Narod.hr on August 18, 2026.
The Ministry of Social Welfare has announced amendments to the Law on Inclusive Allowance at the beginning of next year. The changes are expected to cover administration, assessment, and the drafting of decisions, with the aim of speeding up the entire process.
Lidija Blažević, a member of the association Sjena, told Dnevnik Nove TV how long her family has been waiting for a decision. "I've been waiting for a year for a decision on my mother-in-law's appeal. It was received by the Ministry of Social Welfare in March this year, and we still haven't received that appeal decision. Not only have deadlines been missed, but they've been missed six times," said Blažević.
She also warned about requests that arrive during the process. "They ask for new documentation to be submitted within two weeks because those documents have been waiting for assessment for a long time, or they've even contacted us several times saying that findings from private clinics will no longer be recognized," she explained.
Minister of Social Welfare Alen Ružić claims that the inclusive allowance will not be abolished. "We have planned improvements that we are working on in parallel so that by the time the new legislative framework is established, all these segments will be maximally improved, and ultimately we will reach a situation not only of reducing waiting times but truly eliminating waiting altogether from next year," the minister stated.
Ružić also emphasized who the priorities in the system are. "Those who are most in need should receive help more easily and generously, and all those who have support should not lose it," he said.
The Ombudsman for Persons with Disabilities, Darijo Jurišić, notes a worrying trend. "In 2025 and 2026, it has become even more alarming, namely the continued influx of requests from citizens who were not previously beneficiaries of rights based on disability in the social welfare system, nor did they have a confirmed disability status. Increasingly, various diagnoses, health conditions, and illnesses are being equated with disability, leading to the perception that benefits are compensation for illness," said Jurišić.
Blažević concluded by saying that behind the numbers are real lives. "People are not papers, people are not numbers. Life goes on for all of us. We have to manage all this with superhuman efforts while papers sit somewhere waiting for better days," she concluded for Dnevnik.hr.
