Healthcare specialist Vato Surguladze says the government’s decision to begin rechecking socially vulnerable families is the right move, emphasizing that state assistance should go only to those who genuinely need it.
Speaking to BMG, Surguladze noted that many families with substantial income still benefit from aid intended for low-income households. He supports the principle that if a family member’s income exceeds 1,000 GEL, they should not receive social assistance; however, he stresses that the verification process must be carried out properly and without political motives.
According to him, similar checks were often influenced by politics in previous years. “They’ve been in power for 13 years, and suddenly now they decided to recheck the system. Of course it should be checked, and those who do not qualify should not receive benefits. But this must be real verification—not the same old practice where families with much higher income still stayed in the database,” he said.
Surguladze added that before elections the list of aid recipients regularly expanded and people were pressured with warnings that refusing to vote could lead to losing benefits. “The approach must not be political. We should help those who truly have income problems. The idea is correct, but it must be implemented honestly,” he emphasized.
The Ministry of Health has already launched the re-verification process. Families whose per-capita income exceeds 1,250 GEL will lose eligibility for social assistance.
