Algerian Social Security Law and Institutional Framework
This domain tests whether you can place any benefit, form or dispute in the correct legal text and the correct institution. Questions are typically of the form "which fund pays?", "which law governs?" or "who controls?".
The legislative block of 1983 (still the backbone)
- Loi 83-11: social insurance for salaried workers - illness, maternity, invalidity, death.
- Loi 83-12, largely rewritten by Ordonnance 95-01: old-age and survivors' pensions.
- Loi 83-13: accidents at work and occupational diseases (AT/MP).
- Loi 83-14: obligations of insured persons and employers - affiliation, immatriculation, declarations, recovery of contributions.
- Décrets exécutifs fix rates, ceilings and procedures: the law gives the principle, the decree gives the figure.
The institutional map
- MTESS (Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security): policy, tutelle, regulation; it does not pay benefits.
- CNAS: salaried scheme - health, maternity, invalidity, AT/MP, family allowances.
- CNR: old-age and survivors' pensions.
- CASNOS: non-salaried workers (merchants, artisans, liberal professions, farm operators).
- CNAC: unemployment cover and social safety-net schemes.
- Control: labour inspectorate, ministerial inspectors, Cour des comptes for public funds.
Principles that generate questions
- Affiliation is compulsory by operation of law; neither employer nor worker may opt out or waive it retroactively.
- Solidarity between generations and across risks; equal treatment of insured persons.
- Disputes go first to an internal recours préalable commission inside the fund, then to the competent court.
Worked example
A workshop hires five workers in March and declares none of them. Reasoning: the hiring declaration is due within ten days; because affiliation is automatic, the five are insured from the first day of work and the fund pays their care; the fund then raises contributions for the whole undeclared period plus late-payment surcharges, and the legal representative is personally liable. The workers are not penalised - the employer is.
Traps that cost marks
Naming the CNR as payer of health care; treating CASNOS as a voluntary scheme; assuming the State budget finances all benefits (it subsidises the balance, it does not replace contributions); thinking a worker must "apply" for affiliation.
Key points
- Four 1983 laws: 83-11 insurance, 83-12 pensions, 83-13 AT/MP, 83-14 obligations.
- CNAS pays health/maternity/invalidity/family; CNR pays pensions; CASNOS covers non-salaried.
- MTESS regulates; the Cour des comptes audits.
- Affiliation is compulsory by law, never optional or waivable.
- Internal appeal precedes any court action.