Nearly 100,000 Croats are still waiting for a decision on the inclusive allowance, including a Split resident who submitted his paperwork to the Social Welfare Centre (Socijalno) almost a year ago and has yet to receive a response. His case is not isolated — the backlog in processing applications affects the entire country.
According to data, there are currently 236,000 active users of the inclusive allowance across the Republic of Croatia, while the Split-Dalmatia County has slightly more than 30,000. Allowance amounts currently range from €138 to €720, and the asset test applies exclusively to the fourth and fifth levels.
Minister of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy Alen Ružić has announced that all backlogs should be resolved in the first quarter of 2027. At the same time, he has announced that stricter conditions for obtaining the right to the inclusive allowance will be introduced.
For applicants, a key rule is that assessments for the inclusive allowance must not be older than six months. If an application is not rejected, funds are received retroactively from the date the application was submitted — meaning that waiting for a decision does not necessarily mean a loss of money, but it prolongs uncertainty for thousands of families.
The Split case thus remains a symbol of a broader problem: while the ministry announces the resolution of backlogs and the tightening of criteria, tens of thousands of citizens continue to wait for confirmation of their right to the allowance they are entitled to.
