Georgia to verify social assistance database as Minister cites irregularities

Georgia’s Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons, Labour, Health and Social Affairs will begin a comprehensive verification of the unified database of socially vulnerable families, Minister Mikheil Sarjveladze announced at a briefing on Friday.

The official claimed more than 185,000 families - comprising approximately 710,000 individuals - were currently receiving financial assistance. In total, nearly 400,000 families (around 1.3 million people) were registered in the database, though more than half did not receive direct cash benefits and instead qualified for various state-provided concessions.

Sarjveladze said the review was necessary due to prolonged verification delays following the COVID-19 pandemic, when a de facto moratorium limited reassessments of beneficiaries. As a result, the database still includes families whose financial circumstances have improved and who may no longer require state support, he said. 

He cited what he described as “anomalous cases,” including families receiving substantial income over recent months, purchasing high-value vehicles - including newly manufactured 2025 models - or taking out large bank loans while continuing to collect social assistance.

The minister noted that since 2012, the eligibility threshold score had been increased twice to expand support to more citizens. Without those changes, he said, the number of beneficiary families today would stand at approximately 120,000 rather than 185,000.

Sarjveladze stressed that the verification process will be lengthy and conducted under strict oversight to prevent misconduct or manipulation. He called on both beneficiaries and inspectors to ensure full compliance with the law.

In parallel, the ministry plans to refine assessment methodologies and introduce improved mechanisms to remove financially secure households from the database.

The government pledged to provide regular updates to the public as the review progresses.