Social protection

In 2007, RON 1,248,151,098 was spent on social benefits intended for disabled persons (2008 Strategic National Report Regarding Social Protection and Social Inclusion).

42,404 people received payments for severe and accentuated disability, 427,175 monthly allowances for severe and accentuated disability and 507,295 personal complementary budgets for severe and accentuated disability.

Rehabilitation and re-training

Disabled people are entitled to: free access to professional assessments,

training courses, reasonable adaptations to the workplace; counselling before and, during employment, a paid trial period of at least 45 working days; the opportunity to work less than 8 hours per day, and exemption from the payment of tax on the salary.

Just under 13000 people with disabilities have a job (representing 2.93%of the total number of disabled people

Preferential employment and quotas

As from 01 January 2007:

Employed disabled people are exempt from the payroll tax and accumulate social benefits for disability from salary income. Employers who refuse to employ a disabled person are liable for fines of RON 3,000 - RON 9,000.

Employers with less than 50 employees, are obliged to employ at least 4% of disabled persons Or be liable for fine.

Long-term support and care

In Romania there are a large number of disabled people in large residential institutions, in particular for people with intellectual and mental health impairments. Community services are still at an early stage of development.

For those who live at home there may be limited options for Personal Assistant (asistent personal), Qualified Personal Assistants (asistent personal profesionist). There is an Indemnity (indemnizatie) as an alternative to Personal Assistant (asistent personal).

Complementary Personal Budget (buget personal complementar) for payment of tariffs (phone, radio, television, electricity subscriptions).

Reforms of the system are planned from 2007-2011 (e.g. "Social Inclusion Programme" financed by IBRD the amount of EUR 14,400,000). This will involve setting up of 20 protected homes and 16 social assistance centres for disabled adults.