Annex 5 Albania 1. Introduction This guide aims to inform you about your social security rights and obligations. In order to be entitled to social insurance benefits each individual has to contribute to the specific branches such as sickness and maternity, pensions, unemployment, labour accident and professional diseases. The health care insurance contributions will cover you for primary health care, cost reimbursement of drugs and thirdly unique examinations. Health insurance benefits are given to the insured persons through the contracts of Health Insurance Institute with the services` providers. Persons obliged to pay social insurance contributions shall be registered to the tax office within 15 days of the obligation starts. The employer should file in written form to the appropriate tax authorities the employees, employed recently one day before their hiring day. Registration shall be an administrative practice and does not establish any eligibility to social insurance coverage. As soon as you are employed your employer should start the procedure of registering in the Social Insurance Institute (SII) to get the personal insurance number. The employer send to the regional office of SII, the list of employed persons, with some details such as name, surname, birthday etc, required by the SII to deliver the number. Is the general office of SII that delivers the personal insurance number. The self employed persons and employers for themselves should be register to the social insurance fund and get the personal insurance number. All the insurance period available for sickness, maternity, unemployment, labour accident, pensions, health insurance care are recorded and certified by the personal insurance number. All persons insured in Social Insurance Institute are automatically registered for Health Insurance and liable to pay health insurance contributions. Based on the two laws on social insurance and health insurance, the state budget can pay contributions on behalf of individuals, aims to be considered as insured persons and the period of contributions paid to be considered as insurance period. For the time being, state budget pay contributions for soldiers, for unemployed persons, for farmers etc. Identification of such persons for whom state budget pay contributions is determined by decision of Council of Ministers. The insured person has the right to be informed about social insurance contributions and/or benefits. The procedure and periodicity of information is determined by Ministers Council decision. As an employee, your employer is obliged to pay contributions to the sickness, maternity unemployment, labour accident, pensions and health care insurance fund. Social insurance contributions shall be shared by employee and employer and shall be calculated based on monthly wage, having as minimal and maximal wage that defined by the Council of Ministers decision. Employer contribution s part for sickness, maternity and pensions is 23.5 % of payroll (gross), and employee part is 9.5 % of payroll (gross). For employment accidents/occupational diseases and unemployment insurance branches, only employer is obliged to pay contributions, respectively 0.5 % and 5 % of the payroll. Health care insurance contribution is 3.4 % of the gross wage in equal shares of employer and
employee. Employer shall be liable of deducting the employee s share of the contribution and to pay the total contributions to tax office. Tax office transfers direct the contributions to the insurance fund (SII-Social Insurance Institute and HCII-Health Care Insurance Institute). As a self-employed or employer you are obliged to pay contributions for maternity, pension and health insurance fund. The contributions for maternity is 2.3 %, for pensions is 29.9 %, for health insurance in urban areas is 7 %, in rural areas 5 %, in lowlands and 3 % of minimal wage defined by the Council of Ministers decision. The self-employed persons and employers are responsible to pay by themselves the contributions to the tax office. In the case when the economic activity, through a declaration, is interrupted for a period, the amount of the contribution to be paid is respectively reduced, in accordance with the formula determined in the instructions of Ministry of Finance. The person obliged to pay contributions should issue a declaration to the tax authorities for each period of obligation to pay these contributions. In the declaration should be included the amount of the contribution to be paid and the amount. The person obliged to pay contributions, issue to the tax authorities the mentioned declaration where it is stated the name of each person, the social insurance number and the amount of contributions to be paid. Natural or juridical persons registered as VAT taxpayers, within the 20 th of following month. The others registered as taxpayer of local taxes over the small business, within the 10 th of the first month after the end of the quarter of calendar year. The owners of juridical person when they are managers or any other position are considered as employees. Natural persons in the declaration will include also the unpaid employee of the family as well as the employees. The contributions are paid in the banks which have agreements with Tax office SII and with HII. The payment in foreign currency are exchanged in Lek according to the official exchange rate of the day the payment is made. Employer will pay fines if the contributions are not paid within the time terms. Penalties will be paid for not registering the economic activity, for delayed registration of a new economic activity, for delayed submission of the documents required, as well as in case the documents submitted by the employer comprise defaulted contribution related figures aiming reduction of contribution amount. Penalties are to be paid in case an employer has deducted social insurance contributions from employed person s wage, but has not paid it and if the employer does not keep the records in conformity with the procedures determined. Each person obliged to pay contributions have the right to appeal the estimation of additional contribution of interests and penalties. Every employer has the right to appeal (in written) to SII for the calculation of value of contribution withheld by the employer. The employer and the self employer may appeal in written to the tax authorities. 2. Social security institutions In this part you will find information about the social institutions responsible for each branches of social insurance. Social Insurance Institute (Instituti i Sigurimeve Shoqerore) Social Insurance Institute is responsible for cash sickness and maternity benefits, old age, invalidity and survivor`s pensions, labour accident and professional diseases.
Address: "Rruga e Durresit", No.83, Tirane. Tel/Fax 00 355 42 22 76 81, web site www.issh.gov.al. State Social Service (Sherbimi Social Shteteror) State Social Service in cooperation with the local government (municipalities & commune) administers social assistance and social services. Address: "Rruga e Durresit", No.83, Tirane. Tel/fax 00 355 42 23 07 19, web site www.mpcs.gov.al. National Employment Service (Sherbimi Kombetar i Punesimit) Payment of unemployment benefit is an obligation of National Employment Service, other than employment services, vocational education training etc. Address: "Bulevardi Bajram Curri", Tirane. Tel/fax 00 355 42 34 00 56, web site www.mpcs.gov.al. Ministry of Health, Public Health Institute, Hospitals and other medical institutions, are responsible of public health, emergency treatment, preventive measures, primary health care, hospitalization services etc. Address: Bulevardi Bajram Curri", No.3, Tirane. Tel/Fax 00 355 42 36 49 08, web site www.moh.gov.al. Health Care Insurance Institute (Instituti i Sigurimeve te Kujdesit Shendetsor) The cost reimbursement of drugs, financing of general practitioners services and thirdly, unique medical examinations are responsibilities of Health Care Insurance Institute. Address: Rruga "Sami Frasheri", No.8, Tirane. Tel/Fax 00 355 42 23 09 84, web site www.moh.gov.al. 3. Incapacity of work Employers pay cash benefits in case of sickness and maternity of their employees. It is a procedure of reimbursement of employer s monthly expenses by the social insurance fund. Sickness Cash sickness benefit for the employed person, will be provided if the following documents are presented by the employer to the regional social insurance office: an written request of interested person, filling in a form approved by Social Insurance Institute; medical report of temporary incapacity; certificate of the assessment basis of one year before; certificate of insurance period. Medical report on temporary incapacity on work is delivered by the doctor where the sick person is registered. Such a doctor has the right to award from 1 day to 14 days of leave. The specialist doctor or dentist has the right to give incapacity medical reports in all cases when a sick person is incapable to work and recommended to him by his/her doctor. Medical Expert Committee (MEC), based on the recommendation of the doctor who possesses the filling-card of the insured person, has the right to deliver a medical report on incapacity as well as when such a person has spent the 14 days of leave. Mother, who has her child under the age 7 sick at home, receives a medical report for taking care, as it
is determined in the labour code or employment contract. A duplicate is given in cases of report loss, provided that employer has paid the period of incapacity. A bilateral agreement between Albania and Bulgaria is in force since 1952. The sickness cash benefit is in the scope of the agreement. The competent institution where the request should be addressed is the social insurance office. For the qualifying conditions the insurance period, work period and all periods considered as insurance periods are taking into account based on such agreement A bilateral agreement between Albania and Romania is in force since 1961. Cash and in kind sickness benefits are in the scope of the agreement. For the qualifying conditions the insurance period, work period and all periods considered as insured ones are taking into account. The benefit will be provided by the country of residence under its legislation. When beneficiary of sickness benefit will change the residence, the benefit will be interrupted from the day of departure and it is the other country (Albania or Romania, depends) which is going to continue the payment taking into consideration all insurance periods both in Albania and in Romania. The rule of coordination and the rule of equal treatment in case of sickness cash and in kind benefit are applicable for Turkish and Albanian citizen s workers. It is a bilateral agreement between Albania and Turkey which is in force from February 2005. The Turkish insured persons have to launch the demand to the Social Insurance Institute, which is the competent institution. For the qualifying conditions both insurance periods in Turkey & Albania are taking into account. The medical doctor who will assess the work incapacity is not freely chosen. When he/she is getting sickness benefit before changing residence, it is required the authorization of competent institution before transferring the residence. The contracting party where the citizen s worker is registered as insured person, will meet the expenses of sickness benefit (cash and in kind). Maternity Cash maternity benefits in case of self employed or employer women, will be provided if the following documents are presented by herself to the regional social insurance office: an written request of interested person, filling in a form approved by Social Insurance Institute; medical report; certificate of insurance period; certificate of childbirth. In case of an employed women the following documents, will be present by the employer to the regional social insurance office: an written request of interested person, medical report; certificate of the assessment basis of one year before; certificate of insurance period; certificate of childbirth. A medical report 35 days long in respect of pregnancy is given by the gynecologist doctor or the midwife when the former is absent. Women with more than one child in pregnancy benefit 60 calendar days of medical report. Medical reports of 330 calendar days long concerning after-child birth leave starts on the day of the childbirth. Such a report for the first 42 days after childbirth is delivered by gynecologist doctor at once, with separate 15 days reports, or midwife in case of his absence. After this term, the report is given by the doctor of the health institution where the personal filling-card is. In such a case the report is delivered monthly in separate 15 days portions. After the confinement period or 42 days, women have the right to go on with the medical report regarding to the after-childbirth leave. Child consulting centers treat mothers with medical reports regarding to after- childbirth leave, irrespective of her home in another
centre, provided she has consigned here the child s personal filling-card. Adoptive mother has the right to receive an after-childbirth leave starting on the day in which the adoption is done, excluding the 42 first days that belongs to the real mother. If the adoption is done within the period of after-childbirth leave, the adoptive mother shall profit the rest of days up to the day of 330. If the delivery happens abroad or mother goes abroad after childbirth, Health Institution, that posse s mother and child s personal filling-card shall deliver a medical report basing on the respective medical document issued by the Health Institution that has meanwhile supervised mother and child. If the insured woman changes the employment after a Medical Expert Commission decision, because of pregnancy, she will have the right to benefit maternity allowance to reimburse the loss of incomes caused by such an exchange, after she has spent the 14 days awarded by the health institution that possesses her personal filling-card. The maternity cash benefit is in the scope of the agreement Albania and Bulgaria. The competent institution where the request should be addressed is the social insurance offices. For the qualifying conditions the insurance period, work period and all period considered as insured ones are taking into account based on such agreement Cash and in kind maternity benefits are in the scope of the agreement between Albania and Romania. For the qualifying conditions the insurance period in both countries are taking into account. The benefit will be provided by the country of residence under its legislation. When beneficiary of maternity benefit will change the residence, the benefit will be interrupted from the day of departure and it is the other country (Albania or Romania, depends) which is going to continue the payment taking into consideration all insurance periods both in Albania and in Romania. The rule of coordination and the rule of equal treatment in case of maternity cash and in kind benefit are applicable for Turkish and Albanian citizen s workers. The Turkish insured persons have to launch the demand to the Social Insurance Institute, which is the competent institution. For the qualifying conditions insurance period both in Turkey and Albania are taking into account. The medical doctor who will assess the work incapacity is not freely chosen. When she is getting maternity benefit before changing residence, it is required the authorization of competent institution before transferring the residence. Expenses of benefits are afforded by the insurance fund of that party where the person is registered as insured. Invalidity Invalidity pension because of a general illness is delivered if the following documents are provided: an application form for the invalidity pension; family status certificate; certificate for insurance period; competent Medical Expert Commission (MEC) decision that determines the ability to work as well as, for physical or mental disabled persons, the need for a permanent care of someone else; certificate of net average of the last employment year needed for disabled persons because of general disease; certificate of average assessment base. The disabled person is directed to MEC authorized by inpatient medical institutions, if it is their first time. A recommendation paper for MEC is the main medical document which reflects the medical state and provides entitlement to present to the social insurance organs. Certificate on the entitlement period to a sickness benefit, reports on the results of the check up or other medical tests. Person presents himself to the MEC solely on the check-up date to be determined by the social insurance
general practitioner as well as on the re-examination date to be determined by the MEC. In case the insured, due to a serious health state, is not able to present himself/herself in front of the MEC on the due date, the checking up shall be done either in his/her dwelling place or in the hospital. Under such conditions the family members or relatives of the sick must notify MEC 15 days prior to the check-up date, presenting a document (medical report) issued by the therapist, which describes the serious health state of the insured and provides the reasons why he/she has not gone to MEC. The sick and disabled shall go in front of the commission within 30 days as from the day they submit their documentation to social insurance office. Rechecking up of the disabled by MEC for determining the ability to work shall depend on their health state and always occur two months before the deadline determined in the latest decision. The person does not comply with the decision of the regional MEC; he/she has the right to appeal to go in front of the Specialized Supreme MEC. The appeal is valid if it is made within 30 days from the date of the decision taken by the regional MEC. The appeal must be in writing and submitted to the regional social insurance office, which, within 10 days, must deliver to Social Insurance Institute the file of the insured person as well as a detailed report with arguments in favor of the decision of the regional MEC. The Specialized Supreme MEC is obliged to ask the claimant to present in front of it not later than two months from the date the documents are submitted to Social Insurance Institute. The Specialized Supreme MEC decision for the disabled or sick person cannot be contested. On reaching pension able age the disability pensioner shall have the right to opt for an oldage pension, if that shall be more favorable for him. A disability pension shall be suspended for periods the pensioner refuses to visit the competent medical expert committee. It shall also be suspended when he refuses to participate in training/retraining courses or undergo medical rehabilitation or treatment against alcohol and drugs, which aim to retrieve his capacity for work. All three agreements have in their material scope the invalidity benefit. Social Insurance offices are competent organs where to launch the demand. Under the agreement of Albania and Romania, the invalidity pension will be calculated and paid by the country where the insured person has the residence. All insurance periods in both countries will take into account. In case of changing residence the country of residence interrupt the payment and it is the other country responsible to pay. Under the agreement between Albania and Bulgaria, each country will pay its part of pension`s amount based on the respective insurance periods. Bilateral agreement Albania and Turkey foreseen that the person considered as unfit to work due to invalidity, reside in the territory other party the adminstrativ and medical controls to detect the degree othe disability so as to enable the continuation of entitlement shall be carried out by the competent institution of the latter party upon the request of the institution of the former country. Nevertheless, the competent institution of the country of origin shall reserve the right to have person re-examined by specialist either in the country where person resides or in its own country, case travel and boarding expenses shall be born by the institution that requested the re-examination. The cost of the reexamination shall be paid by the isntituion that requested the re-examination. Employment accident/occupational disease
Long term benefit because of employment, accident and occupational disease, will deliver if the following documents are presented to the local social insurance office: a family status certificate; certificate for insurance period (the same as for an old-age pension); competent Medical Expert Committee decision that determines the ability to work as well as, for physical or mental disabled persons, the need for a permanent care of someone else; certificate of net average wage of three last employment years; certificate of average assessment base; employment accident report. The medical commision procedure, including the contest procedure are the same with invalidity pension. Re-examination of the disabled under the employment injuries and occupational diseases insurance branch shall occur once a year till they start a qualification or re-qualification. When the course or school term is over, MEC shall take a permanent decision on the loss of work capacity. The same shall be applied for the disabled who have started qualification or re-qualification, but without any result, and MEC is of the opinion that there is no more hope for rehabilitation. The right for a permanent decision on the loss of work capacity is also given to those disabled who due to their age, educational level or health state at the time of the checking up by MEC are not found eligible to start qualification or re-qualification. The rule of co-ordinations is applicable for Turkish, Romanian and Bulgarian citizen s workers, based on bilateral agreements. The Turkish, Romanian and Bulgarian insured persons have to launch the demand to the Social Insurance Institute, which is the competent institution. When he/she is getting employment accident or occupational disease benefit before changing residence, it is required the authorization of competent institution before transferring the residence. The competent institution of country of origin shall reserve the right to have person re-examined by specialist either in the country where person resides or in its own country, case travel and boarding expenses shall be born by the institution that requested the re-examination. In the framework of bilateral agreements, the citizenship is desired. In the framework of Albanian legislation, no requirement of citizenship, if the conditions for employment accident or professional diseases benefit are fulfilled the benefit will be provided. The rules of coordination about employment accident/professional diseases are those mentioned in the part invalidity. Unemployment Employment office of the district is responsible to administer the requests for unemployment benefits. To get an unemployment benefit, the insured person must submit a request, in writing and fulfill the respective documents within 60 days from the day on which they are entitled to such incomes. In the contrary, they lose the right to benefit from unemployment, except in the cases of sickness which certified by a Medical Commission. The person, who benefits from unemployment, is obliged to present to the labour office at least once a month. If he/she is not present, unless his absence is justified, he/she will lose the right to benefit. When the person benefiting from unemployment get employed or self-employed, he is under obligation to inform to the labour office within the time of 5 days. If the contrary, he shall pay the amount of benefits inequitably received.
The license of the private activity is issued by the competent organ after the certificate has been taken in the labour office. Unemployment benefit shall be suspended when such a license is taken away. Each person who benefits from unemployment is obliged to inform to the labour office every difference on his family status, such as whether the dependants reach the certain age (up to 18 years of age, or 25 years, if studying or disabled), or any other change in the conditions of unemployment benefits eligibility. Each payment made on fictive information shall be paid back. Under the bilateral agreements that Albania have with Romania and Bulgaria, unemployment benefit is out of the scope. In the agreement Albania-Turkey is explicitly foreseen that export of benefit is not applied for unemployment benefit. Old age The request for old age pension shall be done to the Local Social Insurance Agency where the last employment place is. For all the other persons unemployed in the moment when they are eligible to profit from a person s right to the Local Social Insurance Agency where his permanent residence is. The documents to be present including the written request of interested person are: a family status certificate; certificate of insurance period (work-book etc); certificate of the assessment base; certificate of net average wage for three successive years in 10 last ones of insurance. The decision of old age pension is taken by the regional social insurance office within 30 days from the acceptance of documents. Pensioners with a right to more than one pension may choose only one of them. The right to a pension shall not be forfeitable. The right to an individual monthly installment of a pension shall be forfeited in a year from the commencement date of the right. In other cases, the right to a monthly pension installment shall be forfeited from the date of claim submission. The acknowledged but not drawn pensions shall be paid any time, but only for three years. The rest of the pensions, which have been acknowledged, but less paid, shall be paid any time, but only for three years. The reimbursement of overpayments is requested to be done not later than three years from the execution, and not later than 6 months from the date those were verified. The persons benefiting through illegal means and manners, or having not informed on their change or abolition shall pay all sums back. The old age pension is in the scope of three agreements that Albania have with Bulgaria, Turkey and Romania. The rule of coordination and the rule of equal treatment are applicable. Social Insurance offices are competent organs where to launch the demand. Under the agreement of Albania and Romania, the old age pension will be calculated and paid by the country where is the residence of the insured person. All insurance periods in both countries will take into account. In case of changing residence the country of residence interrupt the payment and it is the other country responsible to pay. Under the agreement between Albania and Bulgaria, each country will pay its part of pension`s amount based on the respective insurance periods. Survivors The request for survivor s pension shall be addressed to the Local Social Insurance Agency where the permanent residence is, or last employment of deceased person was. The documents required are an written request of interested person; family status certificate; death certificate of the insured person; documentation needed to prove the
insurance period and length of service, which is the same as for the old-age pension; certificate of the wage of the deceased when has or is eligible to profit an old-age pension; certificate on school attending, needed for the orphans of the employed or selfemployed age proving that fact; Medical Expert Committee decision on work disability needed for the family members dependent on the deceased when they are at an employment age; certificate delivered by the Local Government needed to prove that the widow looks after a child up to 8 years old who used to be dependent upon the deceased; certificate delivered by the Local Authorities that proves grandparents have no obligations to look after them as well as that they used to share the same household with the deceased for more than a year before the death occurred. Interested person has to declare he is not an economically active person (employed or self-employed one). Orphan who has reached the employment legal age, but is yet under 18 years of age, as well as is not attending the school, must declare in his own pension s request the fact of not being employed or self-employed. Also a certificate from Employment Office proves he is not working or receiving an unemployment insurance benefit. All three agreements have in their material scope the survivor`s pension. Social Insurance offices are competent organs where to launch the demand. Under the agreement of Albania and Romania, the pension will be calculated and paid by the country where is the residence of the insured person. All insurance periods in both countries will take into account. In case of changing residence the country of residence interrupt the payment and it is the other country responsible to pay. Under the agreement between Albania and Bulgaria, each country will pay its part of pension`s amount based on the respective insurance periods. Health Care The primary health care is provided to the health institutions and the doctors used their activity in a determined territory and take care for determined number of citizens. The primary health care is based on the free choice of general or family doctor by the patients, within the territory of district where they live. Patients must be registered with a general doctor within their district. They can change doctor once a year. Patients can not direct access to the specialists, it is required a reference of general doctor to have access to the specialist. Direct access can happen only in emergency cases. Expenses of services from general practitioner or family doctor are reimbursed by the Health Care Insurance Institute based on number citizens registered with general practitioner or family doctor. The documents which certify that the patient is insured and does not pay for medical care are health book, recommendation of family doctor and recommendation of specialist doctor. Health Care Insurance Institute provides health book and adopt rules how to issue, fulfill and use this document. Patient is told by their doctor or health care system which hospital they shall attend, so hospital service is based on recommendation system. It is a list of thirdly unique medical examinations and treatments they are reimbursed by the Health Care Insurance Institute and ppatients have to pay from 0 to 10 % of the costs. For children 0-12 months, pensioners, labor invalids, veterans and persons who suffer TBC CA Health Care Insurance Institute reimburses 100 % of the services. Documents to be provided are health book, identification document and recommendation.
Pharmaceutical net is an open one, part of them have reimbursement contracts with the health insurance care institute. Such pharmacies can provide to the insured persons drugs with less price only for the drugs in the list, approved by a Council of Ministers Decision. Where there are more alternative drugs applied in any one case, with the same effect, it will be reimbursed the cost of the least expensive one. Health insurance does not reimburse the cost of prosthetic aids and appliances and the purchase of glasses. Transport to and from medical institutions is free only in case of emergencies. Under the bilateral agreement of Albania and Bulgaria, is foreseen that the insured persons, pensioners and their members of family, of each contracting parties, in need for medical assitance will havet it for free by the country of residence. Under the bilateral agreement of Albania and Romania, urgent medical assitance is provided based on the principle of equal treatment. Health care is in the scope of the agreement of Albania-Turkey. The health care expenses will be reimbursed by the insurance fund where the person is registered and insured if the principle of prior authorization is respected. Family benefit Study grants for high education of students are provided under criteria determined by Council of Ministers decision. Persons interested shall apply to the competent authorities under the Ministry of Education to pursue the procedure providing list of documents including the incomes of family. Supplement cash benefits to person who get invalidity pension or long term benefit because of labour accident/professional diseases and to unemployed person who get unemployment benefit, provided they have dependent children less than 18 years of age, or 25 years, if studying or disabled, prior to the above mentioned ages. Details about procedure and documents are in above respective paragraphs. Social assistance benefits for parents having more than two children born simultaneously, which belong to families in need, for handicapped children & handicapped family member as well as benefit for taking care of them. Details about procedure and documents are in the paragraph called need. It is a Council of Ministers decision about compensation system. There are documents and procedures required for the supplements to compensate the price of some foods and electricity for pensioners who have dependant children less than 18 years of age, or 25 years, if studying. Need Families in need benefit from full or partial economic assistance. Full economic assistance benefit is granted to families or persons who do not generate income from any economic activity; social assistance and services programmed or any other system of social protection; own capital; members of the family who have emigrated. Economic assistance is partial when the claiming family does not generate sufficient income from land; livestock, poultry, apiculture, viniculture, horticulture; pensions and other income. The economic assistance and disability entitlement is allocated once a month by a decision of the council of the local government unit. The request for benefiting from economic assistance is presented in writing by the head of the family and signed by all its
adult members. The applicants submit the necessary documentation to the Social Administrator in the local government unit. The criteria and procedures for benefiting from economic assistance are determined by a decision of the Council of Ministers. The beneficiaries of monthly payment for disability are to be decided by the special medical commissions are considered as in need for care, are also entitled to a paid caretaker. The procedure of medical commission and documents as well, are mentioned in chapter invalidity. The request and documentation for benefiting from disability entitlements are presented to the social administrator in the local government units. The criteria for benefiting from disability entitlements are determined by a decision of the Council of Ministers. The request and documentation for benefiting from social care services are submitted to the social administrator in the local government units. The criteria for admission to social care institutions and for community-based services are determined by a decision of the Council of Ministers. The Council of the municipality/commune is entitled to approve special criteria on the basis of which is granted the economic assistance or provided social care services through using local funds for poor families or families with many members. People in need of social care services are admitted to the public residential institutions at no charge, in those cases where their families do not generate any income. Expenses related to them are covered by the state budget. People in need of social care services, who generate personal income, are admitted to social care public institutions against payment of a fee in relation to their monthly income or the income of the dependable persons. The social care service beneficiaries housed in the social care institutions is handed over an amount in cash in ALL (lek) to cover their personal expenses. This amount is defined by a decision of the Council of Ministers. The expenses quota levels for social care in the public residential and community institutions are approved by Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The expenses quota levels for the non-public institutions cannot be lower than those of the public institutions. Service standards in the public or non-public social care institutions are adopted by a decree of the Council of Ministers. The applicant, who is refused economic assistance benefit, disability entitlement or the social service by the decision of the Council of the local government unit, has the right of appeal to the court. Under the bilateral agreement of Albania and Turkey, social assitance is not exported, even the principle of equal treatment is applied. Under the bilateral agreement of Albania and Romania, the principle of equal treatment is aplicable for social assitance.