The impact of the freelance work document on the citizen's account and compensation cases

The Citizen Account Program has settled the debate among beneficiaries regarding the impact of obtaining a "freelance work document" on eligibility for monthly support, clarifying the mechanisms used in calculating income and disclosure requirements to ensure continued support for eligible groups.

The relationship between the freelance work document and the Citizen Account

The Citizen Account Program clarified in an official statement that simply obtaining a self-employment certificate does not negatively affect a beneficiary's account in the program, nor does it automatically suspend support payments. The program indicated that the primary criterion is the income generated from this activity; if a beneficiary earns additional income through self-employment, it must be disclosed within the income details on the online portal. Beneficiaries can use the estimation calculator available on the website to determine their entitlement amount based on their new financial information.

Program context and economic objectives

This clarification comes within the framework of the transparency adopted by the program since its launch in December 2017, as one of the most important pillars of economic transformation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within Vision 2030. The program was established to protect Saudi families from the direct and indirect impact of various economic reforms, such as energy price adjustments and the value-added tax. The Freelance Work Document, issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, is a national initiative aimed at regulating and stimulating the freelance sector in the Kingdom, making the integration of the two programs vital to ensuring that economically active beneficiaries are not negatively affected.

Cases of retroactive compensation for beneficiaries

In a related context, the program clarified, via the "X" platform, the cases in which compensation is disbursed to beneficiaries retroactively, which are divided into two main sections:

• Financial objections: Compensation is paid retroactively to beneficiaries who submitted financial objections and were approved, thus proving their right to amounts that were not previously disbursed to them.
• Eligibility objections: If an eligibility objection is accepted, the beneficiary is reinstated to the next payment cycle. Retroactive compensation in this case is not automatic but is subject to individual review and approval according to the program's regulations.

Steps to change or modify a bank account

In order to facilitate procedures, the program outlined the steps necessary to update bank data to ensure uninterrupted deposit of support funds, as follows:

• Log in to the Citizen Account application and select "Beneficiary File".
• Click on the "Bank Account" icon.
• Enter the new IBAN number and make sure it is correct, then press "Save".

The program always emphasizes the importance of updating data periodically and disclosing any changes in income or social status to avoid any disruption in the disbursement of entitlements, in line with the program’s objectives of directing support to the most deserving groups in Saudi society.