On Monday, December 11, 2023, the first aid platform, arogi.gov.gr, opens again for the submission and modification of applications by those affected by the floods of September 2023.

In particular, applications and corrections can be submitted by:

  • businesses and farms for first aid against a grant,
  • property owners for first aid against housing assistance,
  • households for support to deal with basic living needs and simple repair work and/or the replacement of household appliances.

The online platform arogi.gov.gr operates with the contribution of the Independent Public Revenue Authority. The platform will remain open for submission of requests and corrections until December 22, 2023.

  • (1) With reference to the first aid against a grant, it is recalled that the amount of the first aid received by each business, farmer or breeder is offset against the amount of the final grant, as this will be determined by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, after recording damages from the state aid committees of the Region.

It is clarified that in order to grant the aid, the data of the applications will be cross-checked with the Region’s data for businesses and the data submitted to ELGA for damages to stored products and fixed capital.

Therefore, a necessary condition for the payment of the aid is for businesses to submit a relevant application to the relevant Region for the autopsy, the recording and assessment of the damages by the state aid committees and the grant of Law 4797/2021.

For this purpose, the Regions will accept business applications during the same period, i.e. from 11 to 22 December 2023.

  • (2) With reference to the first aid against housing assistance, it is recalled that it is paid for buildings that have suffered severe damage that makes them dangerous for use or dangerously dilapidated or completely damaged (“RED”), or that have suffered serious damage that makes them temporarily unfit for use (“YELLOW”), according to the Re-inspection Bulletin or Report or Protocol of the Preparatory Building at Risk of the competent agency of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection. For this purpose, property owners should attach the relevant Bulletin to their application.

The amount of the first aid that each owner receives is offset against the amount of the final housing assistance, as determined by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection. For the granting of the above aid, the data of the applications will be cross-checked with the data of the Ministry’s General Directorate for Rehabilitation of the Effects of Natural Disasters.

It is clarified that for the cases where the buildings have not been judged “RED” or “YELLOW” but have suffered damage from the extreme flooding phenomena, an application may be submitted for the granting of housing assistance for small repair works, either by drawing up a study by the engineers of the competent authority service of the Ministry with a specific amount per square meter, or with a study by a private engineer. More information on the components of the housing benefit scheme is available in previous press releases (housing benefit framework, forms).

  • (3) With reference to the aid for dealing with basic needs and simple repair work and/or the replacement of household goods, it is recalled that the aid is paid for houses which have been flooded. In particular, they are paid for the main residence, as well as for a secondary residence.

Especially for long-term leased properties or properties under free concession, the grants are granted based on the application submitted by the owner-lessor for the property. Then, the lessee or concessionaire, as the beneficiary of the compensation for household goods, is automatically informed in order to accept the relevant application and to pay the financial aid to the lessee or concessionaire.

Finally, it is reminded that the flood victims in the areas that have been completely affected by the floods, as they emerged after cooperation with the Fire Brigade, whose details could not be cross-checked by the AADE, can submit an application at arogi.gov.gr, so that to receive the compensation due to them.

It is clarified that in order to grant the aid, the data of the applications will be cross-checked with the data of GDAEFK. Correspondingly, for the cases where the aid payment was made automatically, autopsies and data cross-checks will be carried out.

For all the above aids, in case it is established that the entitled amount of the aid is less than the amount received by the beneficiary or that the recipient of the aid is not a beneficiary, then the excess amount or the total amount respectively, is returned to the Greek State as unduly paid.