Social Welfare Act (2015) Country/Territory Estonia Document type Legislation Date 2015 (2019) Source FAO, FAOLEX Original source RT I, 30.12.2015, 5 Subject Agricultural & rural development, General Keyword Social protection Rural employment Poverty Subsidy/incentive Education Geographical area Europe, Europe and Central Asia, European Union Countries, Northern Europe Abstract This Act provides the organisational, economic and legal bases for social welfare, and regulates the relations relating to social welfare. Upon the provision of social welfare assistance: (1) the needs of the person shall be taken into consideration first; (2) such measures shall be preferred which are aimed at finding possibilities and increasing the ability of the person to organise his or her life as independently as possible; (3) the person shall be advised about choosing and adjusting measures and, if necessary, about assistance provided by a specialist with appropriate professional training; (4) the efficiency of implementation of measures from the viewpoint of the person in need of assistance and, if necessary, from the viewpoint of the family and community shall be taken as the basis; (5) the person in need of assistance and, if necessary, his or her family members shall be involved in all the phases of the provision of assistance if the person has consented thereto; and (6) measures shall be ensured to be as accessible to a person as possible. Full text English/Estonian Website www.riigiteataja.ee