Social benefits are the only way to cope in Estonia for many Ukrainian war refugees. Even though pressure on the social system has grown, it has done so less than feared, Minister of Social Protection Signe Riisalo said.
While previous years had seen a steady decrease in the number of subsistence benefit recipients in Estonia, the number of subsistence benefit applications submitted in March doubled, due primarily to the arrival of war refugees from Ukraine.
The Ministry of Social Affairs proposed not paying subsistence benefits to those Ukrainian refugees using Social Insurance Board (SKA) housing because their accommodation includes meals. Tallinn and Tartu will be paying the minimum benefit to everyone, while other local governments are more selective.