Životní minimum a jeho úloha v sociální politice v letech 1991-2023 v České republice

The diploma thesis deals with the development of the living minimum in the Czech Republic in the years 1991–2023 and its role in the social policy system. The thesis follows the construction of the living minimum, its legislative development and valorization and analyzes the relationships between the living minimum and inflation, income poverty, household expenditures and social benefits, the amount of which directly depends on the living minimum. The thesis includes a quantitative analysis of the development of nominal amounts of the living minimum for various model types of households, the real value of the living minimum and a comparison with the development of the price level. Based on the regression analysis, it is found that inflation is a key factor influencing the level of the living minimum, but the valorization of the living minimum with respect to the development of inflation is not sufficient. Within the framework of the analysis of the poverty rate, it is found that although some valorizations of the living minimum correlate with a decrease in the poverty rate, a clear causal relationship cannot be confirmed between them, especially due to the influence of other socioeconomic factors that influence the poverty rate. The contribution of the work is the connection of the development of the living minimum with the number of people with incomes below its threshold and with the expenses and the number of benefits paid, which are linked to the living minimum. The valorization of the living minimum led in the monitored period to an increase in the amounts of social benefits and to an expansion of the circle of people who receive benefits. The work provides a comprehensive view of the role of the living minimum in the Czech social system and provides a basis for discussion about its future setting.