People's chance to defend welfare claim declines

Brno, March 14 (CTK) – The chance of Czechs to defend themselves against the authority's decision not to grant them welfare benefits has declined under the new welfare system valid since January, Ombudsman Pavel Varvarovsky said today.

Previously, such people could turn to the nearest regional court. Now, however, the benefits are no longer granted by town halls but newly by labour offices, whose decisions can be appealed only with the City Court in Prague, Varvarovsky told journalists.

The benefit distribution reform has "hampered people's access to law and their chance of seeking justice," he said.

Varvarovsky pointed to the human aspect of the change. Welfare benefits are mostly applied for by people with some handicap, such as old people, the disabled and people threatened with poverty or social exclusion.
Under the previous system, "for a disabled person from a remote Moravian village it was difficult to turn up at the regional court in Brno or Ostrava, but still it was easier for him/her than to go to the City Court in Prague," Varvarovsky said.

Some judges have criticised the situation, he said.

Varvarovsky said he has turned to Labour and Social Affairs Minister Jaromir Drabek (TOP 09) and Justice Minister Jiri Pospisil (Civic Democrats, ODS), asking them to solve the problem.

He suggested that the law on the labour office be changed so that unsuccessful benefit applicants can appeal the decision at the court in their home regions.