More than 60,000 of Serbia’s poorest citizens have lost their right to financial social assistance during the first four years of implementation of the controversial Social Card Law, which relies on a publicly undisclosed algorithm to determine social protection rights.
As it does every year in order to monitor the effects of the Social Card system, The A 11 Initiative submitted a freedom of information request to the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, seeking updated data from the Social Card Registry.
The data show that, within just one year, from 1 March 2025 to 1 March 2026, exactly 2,756 people lost their right to financial social assistance. This means that, on average, seven people lose access to social assistance every day.
While 152,982 vulnerable citizens were receiving financial social assistance last year, this year the number has dropped to 150,226 individuals.
At the same time, as in previous years, the Ministry has failed to demonstrate that the Social Card system has contributed to the inclusion of poor people in the social protection system. In addition to excluding existing beneficiaries from social protection, the system is becoming increasingly inaccessible to new applicants, further reducing the already low coverage of this right.
The A 11 Initiative emphasizes that this information is particularly concerning given that one of the previously announced reasons of introducing the extremely costly and non-transparent Social Card Registry was to ensure a fair allocation of public funds intended for social protection.
According to the Ministry of Labour, “submitting an application (for financial social assistance) is a right and an individual matter for citizens,” despite the reality showing that people living in poverty often lack clear access to information about their rights, particularly under conditions in which their contact with social workers has been further reduced. The introduction of the Social Card Registry as the official information system used by social security centres has prevented many social workers from directly addressing the needs of vulnerable families and individuals. Instead, these decisions are increasingly being made by an algorithm.
As social workers themselves explain, the system does not allow them to examine the facts of a beneficiary’s case in a timely and direct manner; rather, it imposes decisions that are often contrary to the interests of the poorest members of society.
Further cause for concern is the fact that decisions terminating financial social assistance for more than 60,000 beneficiaries have been legally challenged only 1,818 times through appeals procedures since the registry was introduced into the social protection system. This figure clearly demonstrates the extent to which beneficiaries are unaware of their rights and lack effective access to available legal protection mechanisms. The termination of benefits is automated through the registry, while legal aid remains insufficient, and the consequences are borne by those who are most in need of support.
Due to the numerous shortcomings of the Social Card system, The A 11 Initiative has for years advocated for the repeal of the Social Card Law and for strengthening the social protection system through direct support measures, enhanced institutional capacities and improved working conditions for social workers. We recall that in April 2022 we submitted an initiative to the Constitutional Court of Serbia requesting a review of the constitutionality of the Social Card Law, but the Court has yet to issue a decision.
At the same time, we continue to advocate for legislative reform that would provide a fair level of financial social assistance, which currently amounts to approximately 100 euros per month in Serbia – far too low and entirely insufficient to fulfil its intended purpose.
In Belgrade, 3 June 2026
