Benefit to be paid by April 21
A Labor Ministry amendment tabled in Parliament outlines the terms and conditions for handing out an emergency benefit to be paid to vulnerable groups (low-income pensioners, people with disabilities, uninsured elderly people and those receiving the minimum guaranteed income or child benefits) to help them cope with the current wave of high prices.
The benefit is to be paid by April 21 and will amount to 324 million euros, with an estimated 1.7 million beneficiaries. The measures will help roughly 1.4 million households totaling 3.2 million individuals.
To qualify, applicants must have an annual individual income of less than €7,200 or a family income that does not exceed €14,400. The total value of any real estate owned by the household cannot exceed €200,000, they must reside and pay taxes in Greece and they must have paid taxes in Greece in 2020.
The amount of the benefit will be €200, irrespective of the number of a person’s dependents. If both spouses qualify, they will both receive it. It will be tax-free, not seizable and cannot be offset against other debts. It will also be paid to those receiving disability pensions and uninsured elderly people on social solidarity benefits.
