Social Assistance Terminated to 82-year-old Woman Due to the Information that She Works As a Rescuer

The social assistance has been terminated to 82-year-old woman due to the information that she works as a rescuer, according to the NGO Center for Civic Activities. According to the center, it is not the first case when the social service agency terminated the vital social assistance to the helpless elders due to the information of working in different services.

“In the September of 2010, the regional departments of social service agency received the so-called “lists of employees”. The families included in this list were terminated the social assistance. Numerous citizens addressed us stating that they have been falsely included in this list. Nobody explained to them how they happened to be listed there. They have been deprived of financial assistance for months and the agency refuses to reimburse this money. One more citizen addressed us today who is working in the rescue service according to the lists. Due to this information she has been terminated the social assistance. But, in reality the applicant can not even move independently and it is impossible for her to work as a rescuer,” – states the Center for Civic Activities.

According to the lawyer of the organization Lia Khuroshvili, two weeks ago they requested the so-called “lists of employees” along with other public information from Kakheti Coordinating Center of Social Service Agency. But they still have not received it. “We tried to ascertain in the regional center of the agency why they refused to disclose public information, but they state that this belongs to the competence of the head of the center Levan Akhalauri. However, Akhalauri does not answer our phone calls or states that he is busy and refuses to meet,” – explains the NGO.

Kakheti Information Center could not contact Levan Akhalauri either. He does not answer our phone calls.

The Social Service Agency has terminated the social assistance to the mother of five children Shorena Rekhviashvili on the grounds of information that she works in “Lagodekhavtogza” (Auto Way of Lagodekhi). The company does not confirm this information. 77-year-old Natela Jachvadze has also been deprived of assistance. The Center for Civic Activities provides legal assistance to them under the frameworks of the project Advocating People beyond Poverty Line in Kaheti Region. The project is implemented under the frameworks of program Policy, Advocacy and Civil Society Development in Georgia (G-PAC) of East-West Management Institute (EWMI).

Kakheti Information Center