While the responsibility for this policy area remains at the national level, social services are enacted through regional authorities that liaise with local authorities. Municipalities have little agency other than carrying out tasks at direction of these regional authorities.

Central

The central government is responsible for:

• Overseeing state administration of social affairs, directing power through 46 regional offices.
• Social insurance, old-age pension saving scheme and supplementary pension saving schemes

• State social benefits
• Social services
• Supporting social inclusion of persons with disabilities into society and assistance with material needs
• The social and legal protection of children, guardianship and coordination of family policy
• Providing state supervision over performance of social insurance and over performance of the social services (Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family).
• National Managing Authority co-ordinates the European Social Fund (ESF), and the Fund for the European Aid of the Most Deprived Persons (FEAD) through operational programmes for funding period of 2014-2020.

Regional

Regional authorities are responsible for:

• The creation and the implementation of social development within the territory of the Region;
• Procuring and approving the development of social services, providing social services; 
• Managing of municipalities and other legal and private entities which provide social services;
• Decision-making in the field of individual cases regarding various social allowances;
• Controlling the functioning of social services;
• Issuing measures on removal of identified shortcomings of social services;
• Organising educational and recreational facilities for children;
• Organising public catering;
• Working with the Municipalities and other entities and individuals in the construction of housing facilities;
• Working with communities to develop programmes of social development of communities;
• Developing and disseminating the concept of social services, social prevention and social counselling;
• Deciding for the provision of care services and for the payment of the care service,
• Concluding agreement for the payment of social services.
• Implementing social welfare measures through European Structural Investment Funds via the National Managing Authority.

Local

Municipal authorities are responsible for:

• Performing tasks in the area of social assistance; establishing social service facilities and providing social services;
• Decision-making in the field of individual cases regarding some social allowances;
• Making decisions in the field of:
• Social services and control of social services;
• Establishment of social service facilities, and
• Payment for the care services.

Responsible ministries/bodies

Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic
 
 

Sources

National Council of the Slovak Republic Act No.221/1996 on the Slovak Republic Territorial and Administrative Organisation, last amendment 453/2001.

National Council of the Slovak Republic Act No.222/1996 on the Organisation of Local State Administration, last amendment 180/2014.

National Council of the Slovak Republic Act No.302/2001 on the Government of higher territorial units (Law on the region), last amendment 177/2018.

National Council of the Slovak Republic Act No.416/2001 on the transfer of some competences from State administration to Municipalities and higher territorial units, last amendment 440/2015.

Slovak National Council Act No. 369/1990 on Municipalities, last amendment 5/2019.