Subject: National approaches to social assistance provision for TCNs (Estonia)
From: "Borg Ellul Duncan at MSPC-IRU" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Info - SOM" <[email-masked]>, "Cilia Pulis Fiona at MSPC-IRU" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2025 10:50:12 +0300

Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.
Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.

Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Duncan and I am currently working within the International 
Relations Unit of Malta’s Department of Social Security. My current focus is 
on the policy and administrative frameworks governing access to social 
assistance for Third Country Nationals (TCNs).

We are gathering information on national approaches to social assistance 
provision for TCNs. Your country’s experience and practices would be 
invaluable to this review, particularly as we seek to strengthen fairness, 
operational efficiency, and compliance with EU standards within our own 
system.

We would be grateful if you could provide further insight into your country’s 
approach to the following areas:

*	Residency and eligibility requirements for TCNs;
*	The range of benefits available (especially non-contributory forms);
*	Procedures for verifying eligibility, fraud mitigation, and 
digitalisation;
*	Any recent or forthcoming legislative or procedural reforms in this 
domain.

Should it be more convenient, I would be happy to arrange a brief call via 
Teams at a time that suits you. Alternatively, we would welcome any written 
materials or guidance you may be able to share by email. We would also 
greatly appreciate it if you could provide us with the contact details of 
our fellow MS colleagues to facilitate further exchanges and gather similar 
information on this matter.

Thank you in advance for your time and cooperation. We look forward to your 
valuable input.

Warm regards,

Duncan

Dr. Duncan Borg Ellul, DProf
Manager II (Compliance)
International Relations Unit

t +356 25903237  e  <mailto:[email-masked]> 
[email-masked]
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