More than 1000 wealthy families in Armenian region were illegally receiving government support
More than a thousand wealthy families received social benefits from the state in the Armenian region of Ararat, in turn leaving people in real need without government support, the governor of the region announced on February 26.
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What did you find out
Governor of the Ararat region Garik Sargsyan said that the 1,027 families have already been stripped of their social benefits, since they absolutely did not need state support.
With this money, the authorities of Ararat bought cattle and gave it to 60 poor families.
“We checked the lists of those who receive benefits. People were excluded who on paper met all the criteria, but who in actuality owned shops, houses, cars, etc, but their property is in the names of other people”, the governor said.
As a result, two social workers were punished for these violations; one was issued a warning for the approach in compiling lists of people who need benefits.
How much was the social assistance?
About 99,000 families receive social support benefits in Armenia. On average, it is a sum of 31,000 drams per month ($65).
The amount of benefits is determined by a point system.
The presence of unemployed, minors, pensioners, and disabled members in the family is taken into account. Points are accumulated taking into account the living conditions of the family, and in rural areas – the availability of land and livestock.
Wealthy families lost benefits not only in Ararat, but also in the Gegharkunik region. Here, 983 families will no longer receive state assistance.
