Passed by Parliament: New professional development opportunities and salary bonuses for social assistance employees

Chișinău, November 5, 2026 – Employees in the social assistance sector will be able to advance professionally and benefit from salary bonuses through the establishment of a system of professional qualification grades. The provision is included in the draft law on the social assistance system, the digitalization of social services, and the professional development of staff, which was adopted by Parliament in the second reading.

The document provides for the establishment of a system consisting of five professional qualification grades for staff in the social assistance system, with Grade I representing the highest level of qualification. Each grade will carry a monthly salary bonus ranging from 750 to 2,000 lei, depending on the qualification level obtained.

The system will be implemented gradually, and the first certification process for awarding Grade V is scheduled for 2028. For professionals already working in the system, certification will be conducted in stages over a period of three years.

The draft law also provides for the establishment of a professional development system for employees in the social assistance sector. This will include several stages, from professional integration, which involves the integration of newly hired staff, and continuing education to competency assessment and professional supervision. The aim is to create a clear career path and support employees in developing their skills throughout their careers. For the second reading, the draft law was supplemented with an amendment proposed by Member of Parliament Ersilia Qatrawi, which provides that individuals holding a bachelor’s degree in social assistance may take part in the first certification process after one year of work in the field, just like individuals holding a master’s degree in this field.

At the same time, the draft law proposes that employees in the social assistance sector whose long-term professional training programs or master’s studies are financed by the institution, organization, or public authority where they work should undertake to continue working there for a period proportional to the duration of their training.

The proposed amendments to the Law on Social Assistance provide for the introduction of the concepts of case management and vulnerability risk. The concept of applicant has also been reformulated to expressly regulate situations in which an application for social assistance may be submitted on behalf of the family by a guardian or another authorized person.

The amendments to the Law on Social Services also aim to regulate case management as a process preceding the exercise of the beneficiary’s right to social assistance, as well as to grant territorial social assistance agencies the status of social service providers. The draft law further provides that records of social services and beneficiaries will be maintained through the eSocial system, ensuring unified, efficient, and transparent management of social data and cases.

The draft law was developed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, and most of the adopted provisions will enter into force on the date of publication in the Official Journal. Subsequently, within the following six months, the Government will bring its regulatory acts into line with this law.