Health Minister, Public Defender discuss reform of social assistance system

Georgia’s Minister of Health, Mikheil Sarjveladze, met with Public Defender Levan Ioseliani to discuss a planned action plan aimed at improving the country’s social assistance system, the ministry said on Thursday.

The meeting focused on ensuring that social assistance is distributed more effectively and reaches those who need it most.

Sarjveladze said the main objective of the reform was to ensure that only families who genuinely require state support remain in the social assistance database. He noted that social resources should be directed toward the most vulnerable groups and distributed based on the principle of fairness.

An analysis conducted by the Social Service Agency of Georgia found that the database included thousands of individuals with relatively high incomes. Authorities also identified cases where citizens continued to receive assistance despite no longer requiring state support, the body said.

The ministry said the verification process will be carried out gradually and with full protection of beneficiaries’ rights. Officials added that the planned changes were intended to increase transparency, fairness, and efficiency within the social assistance system.