By Vangelis Dourakis

The increases in child benefits, rent and the Minimum Guaranteed Income: The original design “showed” that the readjustment of said basic allowances OPECA it would take place from January 1 of the current year. However, given that in addition to any increases given, stricter aid granting criteria will also be adopted, it will be necessary to formulate relevant regulations that will be voted on by the Parliament.

Thus, the activation of OPECA benefit increases will take time and as everything shows, definitive developments will take place in the first quarter of the year. After all, an overall plan should be made, as the resulting increases will probably be seen by fewer beneficiaries in their bank accounts.

Which allowances are increasing and where are “cutters”

And this is because “cutters” are adopted with tightening of the criteria for granting aidwhile the so-called is also “in the works”. “National Register of Social Benefit Beneficiaries”.

Increases in some allowances will be significant for those who certainly won’t lose them…

In particular, the Minimum Guaranteed Income rises to 250 euros (from 216 euros), as does the increase for each child to 75 euros (against 50 euros), while the income criteria for granting it are also increased proportionally.

The housing allowance from 70 euros will be set at 125 euros and 75 euros, depending on the income scale, while a movable property criterion will also apply.

As regards the A21 child benefit, the beneficiaries who belong to the 1st scale will see it increase to 75 euros (to 150 euros for the third child and the following ones), while the beneficiaries of the 3rd income scale from 28 euros per child will receive 45 euros per child (and 90 euros for the third and subsequent children).

As mentioned above, however, in order to determine the beneficiary of each benefit, for the first time “cut-offs” are established: Regarding the granting of the child benefit, the value of real estate for a family with two children is set at 220,000 euros, while for cars the limit will be Cars over 1,600 cubic meters (perhaps even larger) taking into account the age, but also the number of children.

How will the new National Registry work?

In addition to the establishment of more criteria for the granting of various financial aids, the creation of a “National Register of Beneficiaries of Social Benefits” in which all those who receive aids will be registered will contribute to the change of scenery that is taking place for the granting of benefits. This plan has been in the works since Ministry of National Economy and Finance.

The goal is – according to the Government – to create a single database in which it will be seen who gets what and so that there is an overall supervision and a rationalization of the allowances.

Anyone who overall receives benefits from various sources that exceed a certain amount (eg that of the minimum wage) will see them “scissored”.

A similar central register of benefits exists in Great Britain and through this a comprehensive supervision of OPECA benefits, Ministry of Labor benefits and benefits such as heating will be sought in order to establish who gets what and why.