A few days ago, the Official Gazette in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia published the details of the Saudi Cabinet’s decision that requires approval of the new social security system.
What are the articles of the new social security system Social Security System (Chapter One) Definitions and Objectives
Article one:
For the purposes of applying this system, the following words and phrases – wherever they appear therein, shall have the meanings indicated in front of them, unless the context requires otherwise:
- The Ministry: The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development
- The Minister: The Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.
- The system: the social security system
- Regulations: the executive regulations of the system
- The breadwinner: the person who takes care of his followers and spends on them, whether he is a man or a woman
- Affiliate: The person who falls under the care, responsibility, and expense of the breadwinner
- 7- Family: a group of individuals consisting of one or more families and dependents, residing in one dwelling.
- 8- Independent: A person who has swallowed eighteen years or more, resides in a separate residence, and has his own expenses
- 9- Beneficiary: Every independent person or family to whom the system applies.
- 0- Pension, a monthly amount of social assistance paid to the beneficiary.
- – Monthly income: the total sums of money obtained by the independent or the family during the year preceding the request for the pension from salaries or commercial returns or others. 12
- Wealth: Assessable assets and money owned by the independent or the family.
- – imputed income: a portion of the monthly income determined for the purpose of calculating the pension
- The basic minimum for calculating the pension: a financial value that determines the minimum amount to cover the basic needs of each independent or dependent person, without Arab increases or deductions
- – Calculated minimum pension: a financial value determined for calculating the pension for the independent or the family, including increases and deductions.
- Rehabilitation: measures aimed at transforming the beneficiary into a productive and financially independent individual.
- 17- Qualification plan: a document agreed upon by the Ministry and the eligible beneficiary, which includes measures to be taken by both parties for rehabilitation.
- 18- The eligible beneficiary: the person who can be rehabilitated according to the qualification plan
- 9- The beneficiary who is able to work: the person who has the physical and mental ability to work.
- 0- Accommodation or treatment centers: homes and social and health care centers, hospitals, prisons, and the like.
- – Applicant: the applicant for the original pension or his representative or authorized representative
- – Day: a working day
second subject
The system aims to:
- – Establishing the necessary means and measures to address cases of poverty in society.
- – Ensuring a minimum income that meets the basic needs of each beneficiary by estimating the moral limit calculated for the pension and providing the appropriate support.
- Providing support and social protection to beneficiaries, taking into account the most needy and the most deserving.
- Enabling the beneficiary to achieve financial independence and become a productive person through qualification and training
- – Putting in place mechanisms that guarantee assistance to beneficiaries in the event of crises and disasters.
Social Security System (Chapter Two) Applying and Determining Need
Article 3
Pension requests are submitted to the competent authority in the ministry, including the necessary data and documents that support the pension request. The regulations specify the procedures for submitting the request, the data, conditions, documents and the necessary documents.
Article 4
Submitting a pension application is an approval that the Ministry obtains information related to it from government or private agencies, and the regulations specify the procedures followed in this Article 5.
The Ministry collects data to know the cases of independents and families and studies them for the purpose of estimating the eligibility, through the applications submitted to it and the additional data that the relevant government agencies, associations, NGOs and others have.
Sixth Article
The Ministry informs the applicant within twenty days from the date of its submission of its decision to accept the application in accordance with the eligibility criteria, or to reject it with justification. The regulations shall specify the procedures followed in this.
Article 7
The original applicant and the beneficiary shall inform the Ministry of any change in the conditions of either of them affecting their entitlement to the pension or its amount, within fifteen days from the date of the change.
Eighth Article
The Ministry shall carry out regular follow-up on the status of the beneficiary to ascertain the extent and amount of his entitlement to the pension, and the regulations shall specify the provisions regulating this.
Social Security System (Chapter Three) Calculation and Entitlement Mechanism
Article 9
A person who fulfills the following conditions is entitled to a pension:
- – To be a Saudi permanently residing in the Kingdom, in accordance with the regulations specified by the regulations.
- – That the calculated income for the independent or the family is less than the calculated minimum pension.
- – That he meets the criteria for owning and using wealth specified by the regulation.
- – To comply with the requirements of the Ministry related to health, education, rehabilitation, and community service, as specified by the regulation.
Article 10
The following categories are excluded from the nationality requirement:
- A non-Saudi woman married to a Saudi.
- 2- A non-Saudi widow or divorced woman with Saudi children
- – Children of a widow and children of a Saudi divorcee from a non-Saudi husband
- Persons with disabilities, orphans, and widows with orphans who have transportation cards, and the regulations specify the necessary controls for this.
Article eleven
It is not permissible for any beneficiary, other than the breadwinner, to be in more than one family, according to what is specified by the regulation.
Article 12
- – If the breadwinner has more than one family, then each family is considered independent and is entitled to an independent pension, as determined by the regulation.
- – It does not affect the family’s entitlement to the pension because one of its members resides – for the purpose of studying outside the city in which the family resides, as determined by the regulation
Article thirteen
If, according to the mechanism specified by the regulation, it is proven that the breadwinner is incompetent or incapable of a disease that makes it difficult to dispose of the pension, the family may choose a person who finds the capacity to be the breadwinner.
Article 14
The pension is calculated for the independent and the family by subtracting the calculated income from the calculated minimum pension value according to the following:
- – That the calculated minimum pension be equal to the basic moral limit for calculating the pension for the independent and the breadwinner, and the increase is calculated for each additional dependent of the breadwinner, provided it does not exceed the basic minimum for calculating the pension.
- 2- The mechanism of the calculated income and its percentage, as well as the calculated minimum pension, shall be determined. In proportion to the resources available for social security, as determined by the regulation.
Article 15
The basic minimum for calculating the pension is determined by a decision of the Council of Ministers, based on a proposal from the Ministry in agreement with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economy and Planning, to ensure coverage of basic needs.
Article 16
The pension is paid to the beneficiary starting from the month following the issuance of the decision to accept his application.
Article 17
The pension shall be suspended in the following cases:
- If one of the eligibility conditions is missed.
- – If it is proven to the Ministry that the data submitted about the independent or the family are incorrect.
- – If the beneficiary delays updating his personal data requested by the Ministry, for a period exceeding thirty days from the date of his notification, he requests to update it.
- – If it is proven that the eligible beneficiary has not adhered to his rehabilitation plan.
- – If it is proven that the beneficiary who is able to work is not looking for a job or has not applied to the employment platforms approved in the Ministry and the like, or has not accepted the appropriate job and training offers, in accordance with what is specified by the regulation
- – If the beneficiary has permanent residence in a residential or treatment center.
- 7 – If the beneficiary waived the pension
- 8- The death of the beneficiary.
Social Security System (Chapter IV) Categories and Qualification
Article 18
Upon acceptance of the submitted application, the Ministry classifies the beneficiary into one of the following categories:
- – Unqualified beneficiary
- 2- Qualifiable beneficiary
- 3- A beneficiary who is able to work, and the classification is based on data and information related to the health, physical and social status of the beneficiary. The regulations specify the controls related to this.
Article 19
The Ministry, in cooperation with the Human Resources Development Fund and the relevant authorities, undertakes the following:
- – Preparing a rehabilitation plan for each eligible beneficiary in accordance with what the regulations specify in terms of age, qualifications, medical fitness and the like.
- Providing job search services to every beneficiary who is able to work
- Continuous follow-up of the eligible beneficiary and the beneficiary who is able to work, to verify the extent of their qualification according to the plan, and the seriousness of the person who is able to work in his search for work and his acceptance of appropriate job and training offers.
Social Security System (Chapter Five) Penalties
Article 20
- Any breadwinner who is paid a pension and does not spend it on his family members shall be punished with a fine not exceeding five thousand riyals, or imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months, or both. The Ministry is responsible for receiving communications and forwarding them to the competent control authority
- 2- A fine of no more than ten thousand riyals, or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year, or both, shall be imposed on anyone who unlawfully obtained money from social security. Prove that he is guilty of returning that money.
- – If the acts stipulated in Paragraphs (2) and (2) of this Article constitute another crime punishable by another system; The most severe punishment will be applied.
Article XXI
The Public Prosecution shall investigate and prosecute the crimes mentioned in this Law before the competent court
Social Security System (Chapter Six) General Provisions
Article 22
- 1- By a decision of the Minister, one or more committees shall be formed, the number of whose members shall not be less than (three), among whom shall be a legal advisor. The decision shall specify the head of the committee, the remunerations of its members, and its secretary.
- 2- The committee’s work rules and procedures shall be determined by a decision of the Minister.
3- The committee shall have jurisdiction to consider grievances submitted to it in relation to the following:
- A- Failure to inform the applicant of its decision within the period specified in Article Six of the system
- b- Rejection of the request or suspension of the pension.
- C- The Ministry’s request from the beneficiary to return what was disbursed to him without entitlement.
The committee’s decisions are effective from the date of their issuance.
The committee’s decisions may be appealed before the administrative court in accordance with its system.
Article 23
Social Security resources consist of the following:
- Zakat money collected by the state.
- 2- Aid approved by the state treasury.
- 3- What he is given of zakat, alms, endowment proceeds, donations and gifts.
Article 24
The Minister shall issue the regulation within (one hundred and twenty days from the date of publishing the system in the Official Gazette, and it shall come into force from the date of its entry into force.
Article 25
The system replaces the Social Security System, issued by Royal Decree No. (M/) dated 7/7/1427 AH, and cancels all provisions that contradict it.
Article 26
The system shall come into force after one hundred and twenty days from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
At the conclusion of our article, dear readers, we have answered the question of what are the articles of the new Saudi social security system. For more news about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and developments in government decisions, follow us on the information site.