The Ministries of Labor and Social Affairs and Digital Governance are proceeding with the extension of the grant of the Social Solidarity Allowance for Uninsured Seniors for the members of the Greek minority in Albania and the digitization of the process of submitting supporting documents. In that way, from now on, uninsured expatriates, members of the Greek minority in Albania, have the possibility to submit the application through gov.gr to receive on a monthly basis the allowance for uninsured senior citizens of up to 387.90 euros.

The extension of the allowance concerns all expatriates from Albania who meet the conditions for granting the allowance, whether they reside in Greece and have a special expatriate identity card or naturalization decision, or they reside permanently in Albania.

Particularly:

• For those beneficiaries residing in Greece, the entire process is done digitally (from the submission of the application to the cross-checking and checking of the necessary conditions). If the beneficiary wishes, he can also submit the application to the Community Center of his place of residence.
• Beneficiaries permanently residing in Albania can submit their application through the consular authorities.

It is recalled that, in accordance with par. 1 and article 93 of Law 4387/2016, the Social Solidarity Benefit for Uninsured Over-age Persons is granted to those members of the Greek minority in Albania:

  1. have reached the age of 67,
  2. do not receive or are not entitled to a pension from abroad or any insurance or welfare benefit from Greece greater than the full amount of the allowance,
  3. their total annual individual taxable income, as well as their exempt or specially taxed income, does not exceed €4,320 or, in the case of married couples, €8,640,
  4. do not reside in Holy Monasteries as monks and do not serve a prison sentence and
  5. their spouse does not receive a pension from any source in excess of the benefit.

The service is accessible for all beneficiaries from Tuesday on gov.gr, in the “Health and welfare” section and the “Benefits” sub-section. The design and implementation of the platform was carried out by the Electronic Governance of Social Security (IDIKA SA), a supervised body of the Ministry of Digital Governance. The digitization of the process is going to significantly contribute to simplifying it for citizens and for the Administration, significantly reducing the control time for the conditions for granting the allowance.

The Minister of State and Digital Governance Kyriakos Pierrakakis stated: “The new service that we are announcing today together with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs marks the resolution of a pending issue of Greece vis-à-vis our elderly expatriates from Albania. A pending issue that is primarily essential, but also of great symbolic importance. Through the simplest possible procedures, we practically stand next to those of our fellow citizens who need the help of the state”.

The Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Domna Michailidou stated: “We practically express our solidarity with expatriates from Albania. The granting of the Social Solidarity allowance for Uninsured Seniors is a step to support their dignified living. As a State, we recognize their contribution to the preservation of the Greek identity and we stand by them, wherever they are. Because the continuous support of vulnerable citizens, especially our grandparents, is our priority.”

Frequently asked questions and answers:

Who are the beneficiaries of the allowance?

Beneficiaries of the allowance are expatriate members of the Greek minority of Albania who have reached the age of 67 and do not receive a pension of more than €387.90 per month, provided that they have an annual individual taxable income of up to €4320. If they are married or have entered into a cohabitation agreement, their annual family taxable income must not exceed €8640. In addition, the objective value of their immovable property cannot exceed €90,000, while the objective cost of their movable property (passenger cars, mid-size cars or even two-wheelers) is €6,000.

How can I prove that I am a Greek expatriate from Albania?

The status of expatriate member of the Greek minority of Albania is proven either by the Special Expatriate Identity Card, or by the naturalization decision as published in the Government Gazette.

Is the payment of the allowance linked to my years of residence in Greece?

No, now the payment of the full amount of the allowance is released from the beneficiary’s years of residence in Greece.

How do I apply for the allowance?

For those residing in Greece, the application for the granting of the allowance is made through an electronic platform accessible through gov.gr. To be able to apply for the allowance, the citizen must:

  1. have a Social Security Number (SIN)
  2. to have a Tax Registration Number (A.F.M.)
  3. to state the details of a bank account in which he is a beneficiary or co-beneficiary and is maintained by a bank in Greece
  4. to state his mobile phone number
  5. to register an email address

I am not familiar with computers and find it difficult to apply alone through the online platform, where can I go?

All citizens have the possibility to contact the Community Centers or the competent services of their respective municipality to submit the application.

I live in Greece, what supporting documents do I need to submit?

Once the citizen fills in his TIN, AMKA, and IBAN, the electronic platform is designed to interoperably retrieve all the necessary data for granting the allowance. However, if any of the supporting documents cannot be retrieved interoperably, the applicant will receive authorization to either attach to the electronic platform or present the necessary supporting documents to the community center.

I live permanently in Albania, can I apply for the payment of the allowance?

Yes, now those expatriate members of the Greek minority of Albania who live in Albania and meet the conditions, can apply to the consular authorities of Greece in Albania to apply for the payment of the allowance.

What documents should I submit to the consular authorities of Greece in Albania?

Citizens who will apply to the consular authorities of Greece in Albania must submit the following documents:

a. Copy of the special expatriate identity card or police identity card and the naturalization decision.
b. Proof of residence from the relevant Albanian municipality in which the applicant is a citizen.
c. A public authority document showing the individual taxable income of the applicant. In case the applicant is not obliged to submit a tax return to the Republic of Albania, he submits a responsible declaration stating the amount of his individual taxable income as well as a pension certificate.
d. A public authority document from which the value of the applicant’s immovable property is derived, e.g. Kartela e Pasurise.
e. Document of public authority e.g. Directory e Pergjthshme e sherbimete te transportit rrugor from which the movable property owned by the applicant (passenger cars, mid-size cars or even two-wheelers) can be obtained.
f. Certificate of marital status. In case the applicant is married or has entered into a cohabitation agreement, the supporting document of para. c for the applicant’s spouse or the other party to the cohabitation agreement as well as the A.F.M. and A.M.K.A. of the spouse or the other party to the cohabitation agreement of the applicant. If the spouse or the other party to the cohabitation agreement of the applicant is not a holder of A.M.K.A. and A.F.M., the applicant submits a relevant declaration.
g. If the applicant receives a welfare allowance, a document from a public authority showing the amount of the welfare allowances he receives. Otherwise, the applicant presents a document from a public authority or submits a responsible declaration stating that he does not receive a welfare allowance.