The following announcement was issued by the Press Office of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs:

The extraordinary support for pensioners with a personal difference who receive low and medium pensions and the provisions that specify the arrangements of debts to social security bodies are the most important provisions of the competence of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs included in a bill of the Ministry of Finance tabled late last night in Parliament.

The measures in question are part of the wider package of measures presented by the government’s economic staff last month and are aimed at supporting society from the imported inflationary crisis that continues.

Particularly:

A one-time financial aid of 200-300 euros is established to pensioners who, due to a personal difference, benefited little or not at all from the 7.75% increase that came into effect on January 1, 2023. The aid covers all pensioners with a personal difference and with main pension earnings of up to 1,600 euros per month, i.e. 1,112,000 pensioners. The aid is scaled based on the amount of pension paid and the personal difference. In this context:

–Emergency aid of 300 euros pensioners who did not see the 7.75% increase at all due to the personal difference and receive a main pension of up to 1,100 euros will receive.

– Pensioners who did not see the 7.75% increase at all due to the personal difference and receive a main pension of more than 1,100 to 1,600 euros per month or saw a smaller increase (up to 3.49%) and receive a main pension will receive an extraordinary support of 250 euros pension up to 1,100 euros.

–Emergency aid of 200 euros pensioners who saw an increase of up to 3.49% and receive a main pension of more than 1,100 to 1,600 euros or an increase of 3.5% to 6.99% and receive a main pension of up to 1,100 euros will receive.

The extraordinary financial aid is paid until March 31, 2023. It is tax-free, non-assignable and non-confiscatable in the hands of the public or third parties. It is not tied to and is not set off against confirmed debts to public bodies, is not counted against the income limits for the payment of any social or welfare benefit and is not subject to any fee, levy or other withholding in favor of the State or EFKA.

New framework for debt arrangements to social security agencies

At the same time, a new framework for debt arrangements to social security agencies is established, taking into account the new difficulties caused to debtors after the coronavirus pandemic, the energy crisis and the significant increase in inflation. The provisions of this new framework are fully aligned with those provided for debts to the Tax Office.

Specifically:

For those who have lost their insurance arrangements of 120 or 72 installments by February 1, 2023, it is possible to revive them by paying two monthly installments covering the two oldest installments due until July 31, 2023. The installments that have been forfeited are carried forward, with interest , at the end of the setting.

The revival is done by the debtor’s application submitted until July 31, 2023, as long as the debts have not been subject to after the loss of the arrangement and before the entry into force of this legislative provision: a) to a debt arrangement within the extrajudicial mechanism of Law 4469 /2017 or, b) in debt settlement of Law 4738/2020 (“second chance”). In addition, the debtor must not have any other overdue and unsettled debts to EFKA. If he has other overdue debts, the revival of the arrangement takes place on the condition that they have been subjected to an arrangement that is observed.

Revival takes place with all the benefits and obligations of the lost arrangement, e.g. granting proof of awareness, suspension of the continuation of the forced execution procedure on the debts that are regulated, etc.

With another provision, it is provided that debts to social security bodies (except TEKA) relating to employment periods from September 2021 to December 2022 and which have become overdue, can be subject to a partial payment arrangement of 36 to 72 installments, with the corresponding interest rate in force in the fixed setting of 24 doses. This new arrangement can also include debts that are part of serviceable – on February 1, 2023 – permanent arrangements, as long as these arrangements include, exclusively, debts created during the above periods of employment (September 2021 to December 2022). Debtors who have overdue debts to EFKA who have not been subject to a regulation that is observed cannot make use of the new scheme.

The debtor’s application for inclusion in the regulation is also submitted in this case until July 31, 2023. The inclusion is done by paying the first installment until the last working day of the month of submission of the application. Subsequent installments are paid by the last working day of each month following payment of the first installment. The amount of each installment, the number of installments and any other necessary details are determined by the decision to be included in the regulation. The minimum monthly installment amount of the arrangement is set at 30 euros. The debtor can choose at any stage of the settlement, the one-time payment of the balance of the settled debts, without the burden of interest. The arrangement is lost if the debtor does not pay an amount of installments corresponding to two installments of the arrangement or does not pay the current insurance contributions on time.

Other provisions

By the same bill:

* The online application for unemployment benefits. It is specifically provided that in order to receive a subsidy, the unemployed person submits an application for a subsidy to the competent department of the Public Employment Service (DYPA), i.e. to the Employment Promotion Center of his place of residence within 60 days of the termination of the employment relationship. The application is submitted in person or by a legally authorized person at the relevant store or electronically.

* Provided facilitation of the payment of insurance debts of companies in the fur industry because of the very big blow they have received given that their main customers come from Russia and Ukraine

* Provided obligation to pay insurance contributions to the OGA for natural persons who join subsidized rural development programs for young farmers and install photovoltaic systems with a total power of less than 500 KW (previously the limit was 100 KW).

* The work books of employees in hotels are abolished. The fulfillment of the conditions for recruitment or employment (that the employee does not suffer from a contagious or infectious disease and that he has not been irrevocably convicted of fraud, theft, embezzlement, etc.) is proven by the presentation of the corresponding medical certificates and a copy of the criminal record.

* Fixed-term Private Law employment contracts of the temporary staff of the welfare agencies supervised by the Ministry of Labor and who provide their services when the regulation comes into force are extended from their expiration until the publication of the appointment of the successful candidates of the final lists of appointees of ASEP Announcement No. 7K/2019 and in any case not after September 30, 2023.

* End, a regulation is introduced that paves the way for the issuance of a new General Regulation for loading and unloading operations in the country’s portsin compliance with a decision of the Council of State.