By Vangelis Dourakis

According to all indications, three basic benefits of OPECA have been increasing, however, a significant number of beneficiaries will not only see the increases that will arise in its bank accounts, but instead will lose the money it receives from the state. And this is because on the one hand, “cutters” are adopted by tightening the criteria for granting and on the other they are “in the fields” and the so -called “national register of social benefits”, which will … “trim” aid.

Specifically, through this register, those who receive money from the state will be controlled and if they are considered to receive many related benefits at the same time, which will exceed a certain amount (eg that of the minimum wage) then they will be “cut” to limit to lower levels than the ceiling.

Starts the registry operation that will “trim” benefits

The change of scenery in terms of granting benefits will therefore contribute to the creation of a “national register of beneficiaries of social benefits” to which all those receiving aid will be entered.

The aim is – according to the government – to create a single database in which it will appear who gets and what, so that there is a comprehensive supervision and rationalization of benefits.

A similar central bonus register exists in Great Britain and through it will seek a overall overall for OPECA benefits, the benefits of the Ministry of Labor and for allowances such as heating to find out who gets what and why it gets it.

The register will be created by AADE and will be accessible through the Gov.gr platform.
It will include any benefit or allowance given by public sector bodies, with full identification of the beneficiary, the name, the nature and the amount of the benefit, as well as the timetable of payment.

The beneficiaries’ details will be automatically drawn and intersect with the tax register, income statements, ENFIA registers and family information.

For each natural person, all the aid will be displayed, whether they have been granted by different bodies or are for different causes.

Thus, it will be possible to monitor and identify cases of exceeding, error or overlapping benefits.

The new register will premiere in 2025 and first until June 2026, bodies such as OPECA, DBA and the relevant ministries, as well as basic benefits such as child, heating, uninsured elderly, birth, rented and rent.

Upon completion of the pilot function, the system will be expanded to all state benefits, with mandatory registration of all entities and constant updating of the Registry.

There are increases with… “cutters”

In any case, the basic benefits of OPECA will increase for … all the beneficiaries who are left, something that the prime minister had announced since last year.

Indeed, increases in certain benefits will be significant: in particular, the minimum guaranteed income is increased to EUR 250 (from 216 euros) as well as the increase for each child to 75 euros (versus 50 euros), while raising their income criteria for granting.

The housing allowance of 70 euros is increased to 125 euros and 75 euros, depending on the income scale, and a mobile property criterion will apply.

Regarding the A21 Children’s Allowance, beneficiaries belonging to the 1st scale will see to increase to EUR 75 (to EUR 150 for the third child and the following), while beneficiaries of the 3rd income scale from EUR 28 per child will receive 45 euros per child (and 90 euros for the third child).

As mentioned above, however, to determine the beneficiary of each allowance, for the first time there is a debate to adopt strict “cutters” at the same time, such as a car that will not exceed 1,600 cubic feet in order to be the beneficiary of a reinforcement and immovable property above 210,000 euros.