Filenews 17 November 2024 - by Adamos Adamou
Details on the amount of expenditure that will be allocated for benefits in the new year and on various actions planned with the aim of building a modern and effective social state are recorded in the note of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare on its new budget, in view of its examination this week by the Finance Committee of the Parliament.
The total budget of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare for 2025, regular and developmental, amounts to €642.04 million, presenting an increase of €27.7 million. (4.51%), compared to the budget for 2024, which amounted to €614.3 million. euro.
As for the budgets for the years 2026 and 2027, they are estimated to amount to €642.07 million and €635.8 million, respectively. The above amounts do not include expenditure on projects co-financed by the European Social Fund, which are included in the budget of the Directorate-General for Development.
Therefore, he adds, the total budget of the Deputy Ministry, including the costs of co-financed projects, amounts to €673.6 million. for 2025, €674.3 million for 2026 and to €666,7 million. for 2027.
Social benefits €577.5 million
The total social benefits of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare exceed half a billion euros for yet another year. Specifically, they are estimated to amount to €577.5 million. in 2025, increased by €18.9m. or 3.38% compared to 2024.
Specifically, social benefits expenditure for 2024 amounts to €558.6 million, while for 2025 it is budgeted at €577.5 million.
The lion's share is taken by the Provident Benefits Administration Service of the Deputy Ministry, which is also responsible for the payment of most of the allowances and for the implementation of various support schemes.
Specifically, based on the budget of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, an amount of €443.1 million is allocated to the Ministry of Social Welfare. (from €436 million this year), which will be allocated to provide benefits and other social benefits to beneficiaries.
More specifically,
– €205 million is planned to be allocated for the granting of the Guaranteed Minimum Income. the number of families to ensure their subsistence and housing, depending on the composition of the family, on the basis of needs determined after cost studies.
– In relation to the UGS, the Deputy Ministry informs that the number of beneficiaries in 2024 amounted to approximately 23,294 persons (18,258 applications). To cover the costs of providing Child Benefit to eligible families, as well as for the provision of the Single Parent Family Allowance, an amount of €132 million will be made available, which is increased by €7 million compared to the corresponding figure for 2024, which amounted to €125 million.
– €7.2 million is expected to be allocated for the payment of the Honorary Allowance for Large families to more than 15,000 mothers with many children. The exact number of beneficiaries in 2024 was 15,191.
– In addition, the 2025 budget provides for an appropriation of €95 million. for the implementation of the Scheme for the Provision of Allowance to Pensioners with Low Incomes, for which the provision for 2024 was maintained at the same levels.
– Provision is also included for the provision of extraordinary grants amounting to €3.3 million, which will cover the granting of an Easter Allowance to low-income pensioners.
The Deputy Ministry also mentions that in the context of strengthening families and supporting the Elderly with targeted measures and policies for active and healthy ageing, the Subsidy Scheme for accommodation and care in homes for the elderly (SEF) is in the process of being implemented, with the aim of providing quality services on a 24-hour basis, with income criteria, in order to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of demographic policy and gender equality and the reconciliation of family and family working life.
It also states that the beneficiaries of SEF will include UGS beneficiaries and beneficiaries of Low Pensioner allowance as well as persons approved by the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare after confirmation that they face special personal circumstances. SEF will offer an increase in the provision of care beneficiaries in a Home from €745 currently in force to €1,300 as well as an increase in beneficiaries by extending the deposit limit to €10,000. The expenditure is estimated to amount to €7.7 million. annually and is included in the budget of the Guaranteed Minimum Income.
Modernization in progress – What's changing
Regarding the Government's benefit policy, the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare reiterates its goal of modernization, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, in the context of an ongoing process.
On this issue, the Deputy Ministry informs that the mapping of the existing benefit policy has been completed, which will highlight any gaps and weaknesses.
Based on the results of this work, costed scenarios for the overall modernization of social benefits are in progress, with the aim of implementing policies that meet current requirements and needs and provide effective support to citizens, within the framework of the state's fiscal capabilities.
In order to better serve the citizens who apply to the Ministry of Public Works, the Deputy Ministry refers to measures that are already in force but also to new actions that are being prepared, in the context of the goal of building a modern and effective social state.
In addition, for a more effective and efficient operation of the Ministry of Public Works, the Deputy Ministry proceeds to its reorganization, with the aim of placing greater emphasis on its main role, which is the examination of applications, the management and payment of benefits, as well as the timely information of citizens about their requests.
In this context, eight Welfare Benefit Service Points (SEEP) are already in operation, covering all Districts, with the Deputy Ministry recording its intention to transform the service points into provincial and local social welfare points, which will house in addition to the officers of the Ministry of Public Works and Social Workers in order to provide a comprehensive form of support to citizens at one point (one-stop shop).
It reminds that as of May 2023, the call center (1450) has been put into operation, which since its operation until today has answered and served more than 626,000 calls, of which 335,796 calls concerned the Ministry of Public Works.
The note also states that the analysis for the creation of an online Social Benefits Platform is in progress, with the aim of supporting the Service in the process of further strengthening vulnerable population groups, as well as increasing competition in the provision of social assistance that can be offered by interested parties, with the help of a specific demographic data selection and evaluation tool that will be offered through this platform to those organisations.
The creation of an online Social Benefits Platform for mobile phones is also in progress with the aim of informing applicants and beneficiaries of YDEP benefits about the stage and outcome of the examination of their applications, access to frequently asked questions, submission of online applications, issuance of certificates, payment analysis, information on sending letters from the Service, Live Chat, AI Chat Bot, announcements, complaints and appointment management at the Welfare Benefit Service Points.
In the context of social intervention, it is also planned to purchase the services of specialized professionals from the private sector for the creation of individual action plans for Personalized Empowerment and Support of UGS beneficiaries in work and psychosocial support. Also, the improvement of the electronic application for child benefit is in progress by upgrading it through the implementation of electronic submission of data change by applicants/beneficiaries of child benefit and the creation of an electronic application for the low pensioner allowance is planned in order to faster, efficiently and accessible to all citizens service.
With the note, the Deputy Ministry gives details of the expenses but also of the actions carried out and planned to the other Departments that compose it, the Social Welfare Services and the Department of Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities.
