{"id":6153,"date":"2026-10-31T17:52:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T16:52:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/?p=6153"},"modified":"2026-10-31T17:57:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T16:57:00","slug":"law-on-parent-carers-recommendations-for-fair-and-financially-sustainable-implementation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/law-on-parent-carers-recommendations-for-fair-and-financially-sustainable-implementation\/","title":{"rendered":"Law on Parent Carers: recommendations for fair and financially sustainable implementation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Law on Parent Carers and Carers<\/strong> will apply from 1 October 2026. It gives families who meet the conditions a monthly allowance of RSD 65,000, together with the payment of taxes and contributions for pension, disability and health insurance. IDEAS considers that the measure can substantially strengthen the social security of these families. Four groups of risks, however, could weaken it as early as the first year of implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new policy brief <em>Law on Parent Carers and Carers: recommendations for fair and financially sustainable implementation<\/em> examines four questions: whether the funds for payments are sufficient and calculated in a verifiable way, who meets the full dependence requirement, what protects families from interruptions of support, and how the Law was prepared. For each question, the publication makes a specific recommendation to the Government, the National Assembly and the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Key messages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The coverage estimate cannot be verified.<\/strong> The impact assessment estimates about 3,270 beneficiaries in 2026, but does not show how this figure was derived from the 37,271 recipients of the increased allowance for assistance and care by another person.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The funds needed may be considerably higher than planned.<\/strong> The IDEAS sensitivity analysis gives between 5,341 and 8,999 beneficiaries and annual expenditure of RSD 5.80 to 9.77 billion, i.e. RSD 2.25 to 6.22 billion above the reference calculation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The full dependence requirement for adults is not sufficiently defined.<\/strong> The Law sets neither criteria nor a specific procedure for establishing it, which risks inconsistent decisions by centres for social work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Carers have no guaranteed respite or replacement care.<\/strong> In Croatia, carers keep the allowance during four weeks of rest a year and up to two months of temporary inability to provide care. The Serbian Law is silent on this.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The status is incompatible with work and ends at 65.<\/strong> This arrangement excludes carers from the labour market and departs from the objectives of the European care strategy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What the measure really costs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Regulatory Impact Assessment Report estimates 3,270 beneficiaries in 2026 and expenditure of RSD 591.5 million for October and November. This amount implies a monthly cost of RSD 90,443 per status holder, which exceeds the net allowance by RSD 25,443. Without a published calculation, it is not possible to verify the breakdown of taxes and contributions or the contribution base for pension insurance. The calculation also assumes an unchanged allowance, although the allowance is indexed every 1 March in line with the nominal growth of the average net wage. The first indexation is due on 1 March 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">IDEAS therefore carried out an indicative sensitivity analysis. It starts from the 37,271 recipients of the increased attendance allowance in February 2026 and applies working assumptions on residential care, employment status, pensions and an application rate of 85 per cent. The three scenarios differ in the assumed share of adults who would meet the full dependence requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><td><strong>Scenario<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Number of beneficiaries<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Annual expenditure (RSD bn)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Difference from the reference calculation<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Reference calculation from the impact assessment<\/td><td>3,270<\/td><td>3.55<\/td><td>\u2013<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Scenario 1 \u2013 share of adults 39.1%<\/td><td>5,341<\/td><td>5.80<\/td><td>+2.25<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Scenario 2 \u2013 share of adults 74.0%<\/td><td>7,435<\/td><td>8.07<\/td><td>+4.52<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Scenario 3 \u2013 share of adults 100%<\/td><td>8,999<\/td><td>9.77<\/td><td>+6.22<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Croatian coverage rate, illustration<\/td><td>about 12,000<\/td><td>13.02<\/td><td>+9.47<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Croatia, which has a similar scheme, offers a comparable example. The Ombudsperson for Persons with Disabilities cites about 7,000 status holders, or 1.81 per thousand inhabitants. The Serbian estimate of 3,270 corresponds to a rate of 0.50. Applying the Croatian rate to Serbia gives about 12,000 beneficiaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Who obtains the status and who does not<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where the person cared for is an adult, the Law makes the status conditional on that person\u2019s full dependence on assistance and care by another person, but regulates neither the criteria nor the procedure for establishing it. In decision IU-49\/2006, the Constitutional Court limited the minister\u2019s power to regulate the content of a statutory entitlement by rulebook. The requirement should therefore be specified through amendments to the Law, not through secondary legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A particular risk arises when a child reaches adulthood. The additional requirement does not apply to children. A family that has received the allowance for years may lose it on the child\u2019s eighteenth birthday, without clear criteria for deciding on this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Safeguards against interruption of support<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Law allows payment to be suspended before a decision on termination of the status is taken. IDEAS proposes that suspension be made conditional on prior verification of the facts, an opportunity to be heard and a reasoned decision against which an effective remedy is available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carers are not guaranteed respite or replacement care during illness. Residential respite care lasts up to 45 days a year and no more than 20 consecutive days, but it is regulated among residential services. Without an explicit distinction, there is a risk that the use of respite care will be treated as placement in an institution, which excludes the status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The relationship with the lifelong monthly cash benefit under Article 94 of the Law on Social Protection also remains open. IDEAS advocates that it remain a stand-alone entitlement that can be received alongside a pension. In addition, the status is incompatible with work on any basis and ends at the age of 65. Carers are thus kept out of the labour market during the years in which they would be building up their insurance record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Preparation process and the European framework<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The annexes to the Bill follow the templates of the 2019 decree, although the Decree on Regulatory Impact Assessment has applied since 31 March 2025. Article 31 of that Decree allows the previous regime to apply to regulations submitted for opinion before it began to apply. The difference should be clarified by publishing the documentation and the opinion of the Public Policy Secretariat. The form of the annexes alone is not sufficient to conclude that the procedure was unlawful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The analysis of alignment with the EU acquis is incomplete. Directive (EU) 2019\/1158 on work-life balance for parents and carers falls under Chapter 19. It regulates the rights of working carers, including five working days of carers\u2019 leave a year and flexible working arrangements. The European care strategy and the Council Recommendation on long-term care start from the premise that informal care should be a matter of choice rather than necessity. The Ministry should therefore supplement the alignment analysis and assess separately the obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, EU legislation and policy documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Who the publication is for<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The publication is written for members of the National Assembly and the Government, who decide on amendments to the Law, and for the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, which adopts secondary legislation and publishes the calculation. It is also useful for centres for social work, which apply the Law at first instance, for organisations of persons with disabilities and their families, for journalists covering social policy and for researchers working on long-term care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Related IDEAS publications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/prinudna-ekonomska-neaktivnost-analiza-prepreka-za-zaposljavanje-roditelja-negovatelja-u-srbiji\/\">Forced economic inactivity: an analysis of barriers to the employment of parent carers in Serbia<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/osnazivanje-neformalnih-negovatelja-je-deo-brige-o-porodici\/\">Empowering informal carers is part of caring for the family<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/podrska-porodici-za-brigu-o-clanu-sa-invaliditetom-zivot-u-zajednici\/\">Support for families caring for a member with a disability: living in the community<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/metodologija-za-procenu-uticaja-na-jednakost-revidirana-verzija\/\">Methodology for equality impact assessment<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Legislation and sources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Legislation of the Republic of Serbia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paragraf.rs\/propisi\/zakon-o-roditeljima-negovateljima.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Law on Parent Carers and Carers<\/a> (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 63\/2026)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paragraf.rs\/propisi\/zakon_o_socijalnoj_zastiti.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Law on Social Protection<\/a> (Official Gazette of the RS, Nos 24\/2011 and 117\/2022 \u2013 Constitutional Court decision)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs\/SlGlasnikPortal\/eli\/rep\/sgrs\/vlada\/uredba\/2025\/20\/4\/reg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Decree on Regulatory Impact Assessment<\/a> (Official Gazette of the RS, Nos 20\/2025, 27\/2026 and 30\/2026)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>European and international framework<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/eli\/dir\/2019\/1158\/oj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Directive on work-life balance for parents and carers<\/a> (Directive (EU) 2019\/1158)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu\/news\/european-care-strategy-caregivers-and-care-receivers-2022-09-07_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Communication from the Commission on the European care strategy<\/a> (COM(2022) 440 final)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/employment-social-affairs.ec.europa.eu\/policies-and-activities\/social-protection-social-inclusion\/social-protection\/long-term-care_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Council Recommendation on access to affordable high-quality long-term care<\/a> (2022\/C 476\/01)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Law on Parent Carers and Carers will apply from 1 October 2026. It gives families who meet the conditions a monthly allowance of RSD 65,000, together with the payment of taxes and contributions for pension, disability and health insurance. IDEAS considers that the measure can substantially strengthen the social security of these families. Four [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6121,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[],"grupa":[155],"intervencija":[138],"program":[151],"vrsta-sadrzaja":[],"class_list":["post-6153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-publications","grupa-osobe-sa-invaliditetom","intervencija-zagovaranje","program-social-cohesion"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6153"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6162,"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6153\/revisions\/6162"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6153"},{"taxonomy":"grupa","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/grupa?post=6153"},{"taxonomy":"intervencija","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/intervencija?post=6153"},{"taxonomy":"program","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/program?post=6153"},{"taxonomy":"vrsta-sadrzaja","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideje.rs\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vrsta-sadrzaja?post=6153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}