Former Health Minister Andria Urushadze says the government should consider both household income and expenses when deciding whether to terminate social assistance benefits, arguing that the current process lacks transparency.
Speaking to BMG, Urushadze said the government must clearly explain the methodology behind its decisions to avoid creating the impression that social benefits were expanded before elections for political purposes and later withdrawn without objective criteria.
His comments follow Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement that subsistence benefits had been discontinued for 22,707 families after more than 40,000 households were reassessed, generating budget savings of up to GEL 55 million.
The government began reviewing beneficiaries in February 2026 to reduce the number of social assistance recipients, with one key criterion being a monthly income of at least GEL 2,000 over the previous three months. As of May, 605,033 people from 153,171 households were receiving subsistence assistance, although some of those under review may retain their eligibility after reassessment.
