Faulty Registries Deny Pensioners Energy Assistance in Slovakia

Slovakia's energy assistance program has denied aid to eligible pensioners due to errors in government registries, despite being designed as a flagship social policy initiative. The Ministry of Economy under Minister Denisa Saková developed the program over more than two years, promising targeted assistance to 90 percent of people with the lowest incomes while revolutionizing social aid through improved efficiency and eliminating bureaucratic hurdles. The program was intended to provide direct, targeted help and streamline the state's subsidization of gas prices, but technical problems with official databases have prevented qualifying retirees from receiving the financial support they were promised.