The municipalities are now able to grant birth allowance up to EUR 3,000 for each child, under the new Local Government Code.
A number of municipal authorities in the country are already implementing financial aid programmes, with the amounts of allowances being paid to they even reach 15,000 euros, depending on the number of children.
The aim of the interventions is to support families and address the demographic problem, particularly in regions of the region which record significant population shrinkage.
What changes with the new Local Government Code
With the new institutional framework, municipalities can decide on granting a one-off financial aid up to EUR 3,000 for every birth.
The amount of the allowance, income limits and other conditions will be determined by each city council, according to the economic potential of the municipality.
At the same time, the municipal allowance is intended to be non-taxable, irrevocable and not subject to netting To the State.
Municipalities already paying birth allowance
In dThermu in Aetoloakarnania, the aid starts with EUR 1,000 for the first child And it grows gradually, reaching up to 15,000 euros for the birth of a sixth child.
In Municipality of Pylos – Nestor provision of financial aid which, under certain conditions, may be granted up to 5,000 euros.
THE dApocorone in Crete it grants 1,500 euros for the first child, 2,000 euros for the second and 2,500 euros for the third and for every subsequent one.
According to municipality of South Pelion An allowance of EUR 3,000 is granted for the birth of a third child, provided that the envisaged income criteria are met.
Which other municipalities apply corresponding measures
Economic incentives to support births have also been introduced by municipalities Naoussa, Serves, Suliou and Aktios – Vonitsas.
At the same time, similar initiatives have been adopted and certain municipalities of Attica, with different amounts and conditions, depending on the decisions of the municipal councils.
The municipal allowance is added to state aid
The allowance a municipality may grant does not replace the state birth allowance for OPEKA.
Since a family fulfils the conditions, it can receive both state aid and municipal aid.
Thus, the total amount a household can collect after the birth of a child is increased significantly, especially in areas where programmes with high amounts of financial aid are implemented.
