Social Security is a public right which should be implemented for all individuals of the society by Government. Article 29 of the Constitution obliges the government to provide the conditions of utilizing the social security services for all population in the form of insurance of non-insurance system. Making use of social security benefits such as retirement, unemployment, old age, disability, loss of caretaker, helplessness, accidents and injuries, requiring insurance or non-insurance medical and health care services is a public right. According to the law, government is committed to finance the aforementioned services and protections by using the general revenues and the income of public collaborations. From beginning of the Islamic Republic, many organizations and offices were established and developed with insurance, protective and assistance structures. Although, all of these institutions and organizations have always been the source of prominent assistances and services, but considering the perspective of establishing and leading a comprehensive social security and welfare system, these organizations have not been effective due to the lack of an extensive organizational structure and efficient management system which could not provide the possibility of continuous and coordinate policy making, managing, monitoring and evaluating. Therefore, the specialists, authorities and managers of social and economical domains accomplished the planning and administrating social security and welfare system to implement the comprehensive insurance coverage for whole population, now that, is being executed in the form of a ministry under the title of Social Security and Welfare. Among these organizations, Social Security Organization (SSO) as the central organization of comprehensive social security and welfare system has got the particular importance and status. The SSO is a social insurer organization with the major mission on compulsory coverage of wage-earners and salaried workers as well as voluntary coverage of self-employed persons. Generally, 7 million insured persons as well as 1,300,000 old-age pensioners are covered by the SSO; meanwhile, considering the family members and dependents of the major insured individuals, totally, the covered population by the SSO who receives insurance and medical services is about 27.5 million persons. In accordance with Article 29 of I.R. of Iran's Constitution and paragraph 2 and 4 of Article 21 of the Constitution, in order to create the macro – integration of welfare policies for developing social justice and protecting whole population of the country against social, economical and natural contingencies besides their subsequences, regarding the aforementioned conditions and articles, comprehensive social security system is established to provide the following services:
a) Retirement, disability and death;
b) Unemployment;
c) Old-age;
d) Helplessness, loss of caretaker and social vulnerabilities;
e) Accidents and injuries;
f) Physical, mental and psychic disability;
g) Health care and medical insurance;
h) Protecting mothers especially during the maternity period and child-rearing;
i) Protecting orphan children and unprotected women;
j) Planning particular insurance system for widows, old women and self-dependent women;
k) Poverty and inequity alleviation;
l) Assistance and rescue.
Note 1- According to the Constitution, Social Security is the natural right for whole persons of a country and providing it, is one of the government's commitments.
Note 2- Probable negative effects and outcomes of the government's actions are considered to be some items of economic and social contingencies.
Note 3- In accordance with Islamic regulations, international conventions and contracts besides regarding the interaction provision, foreigner citizens of I.R. of Iran will utilize the protective benefits of comprehensive social security system.
Structure
Organizational Structure Of The Comprehensive Welfare And Social System Act
