The legislative regulation of the Ministry of Finance establishes the financial support of EUR 300 for retired and vulnerable groups of citizens in November each year as well as the extension of age criteria for widows.
It is noted that the 300-euro allowance (increased from 250 euros last year) will receive around 1.87 million people, of whom 1.6 million are retired and around 300,000 receive welfare benefits.
However, it is estimated that some 473,700 pensioners under the age of 65 are excluded only because of the age criterion, despite the fact that many of them receive particularly low pensions.
The new criteria
The new criteria, income and property under which the allowance will be granted are:
• Married. 25,000 euros out of 14,000 euros last year.
• Married. 35,000 euros from 26,000 euros last year.
• Value of real estate. 300,000 euros for the unmarried and 400,000 euros for the married.
In addition, 300 euros will be granted to those who receive only a widow's pension and who are over 60 years old (instead of 65). These are mostly women who are in a difficult position, with limited access to the labour market. Widow pensioners are the weakest group of low-retireers (about 380,000), who receive an average pension of EUR 730, according to the HELIOS report.
Conditions
According to the provision, an annual financial aid of EUR 300 shall be introduced for pensioners of the Electronic National Social Security Agency (e-EFCA), to whom a primary old-age or death pension was paid in the month of September of each reference year, as well as for those receiving a pension for affiliation to the single Social Security Institution of officials, officials of the State, as well as of the military, if they meet the following cumulative conditions:
(a) they have completed their 65th year of age on 31 December of the previous year from the reference year or have completed their 60th year of age on 31 December of the previous year since the reference year, are not paid a primary old-age pension and are paid a death pension.
(b) Their annual total family income, irrespective of the source of origin, taxpayer and exempt, actual and presumed, does not exceed for the previous year the amount of EUR 25,000 for the unmarried person and EUR 35,000 for the married person or part of the symbiosis pact.
(c) The total value of the property liable, spouse or part of a symbiotic agreement and dependent children shall not exceed, on the basis of the act of administrative determination of a single Property Property Tax (ENFIA) of each reference year, the amount of EUR 300,000 for the unmarried person and EUR 400,000 for the married person or part of a symbiosis agreement.
The financial aid will also be paid:
• The pensioners of e-EFKA who received a primary invalidity pension in September of each reference year.
To beneficiaries:
• pension of uninsured seniors,
• social solidarity allowance for uninsured minors,
• (e) paragraph 1 of Article 4 of Law 4520/2018 (A.30), on benefits and services granted by the Organization for Welfare and Social Solidarity (OPECA) to persons with disabilities,
• an absolute disability benefit for pensioners of the former Agricultural Insurance Organisation (formerly OGA) who receive only the basic pension of the former OGA, if they have a lifetime disability rate of 100%;
• sickness benefit and incapacity for State pensioners;
• extra-institutional allowance from e-EFKA,
• benefits of Articles 54a of n.d. 169/2007, 100 to 103 of n.d. 168/2007 (A’ 209), paid by the State,
• a disability pension of the same right paid by the State.
Persons with disabilities who are deemed to be entitled to a retroactive payment of the cash benefit for the month of November of each reference year after the regular payment of the monthly welfare benefit of that month.
Contracting parents of persons enrolled in general or special wheelchair programs, who receive financial support.
Who's left out?
At the same time, about half a million low-retired people are expected to stay out of annual financial support due to age and income criteria. According to the ENPEC, despite an increase of EUR 250 to EUR 300, the conditions for granting continue to leave out of significant categories of retired and vulnerable citizens.
The main exclusions concern those receiving a primary pension but have not reached the required age limit. The widows and widows who have their own pension, orphans receiving a death pension and those receiving a reduced pension before the 65th year are also left out of aid.
At the same time, income and property limits play a decisive role. Moreover, the aid excludes those who receive a temporary and not definitive principal pension during the reference month, i.e. in September 2026, as well as categories of citizens who had joined previous social support programmes, such as long-term unemployed, single-parent families, beneficiaries of the Social Solidarity Income and most beneficiaries of child allowance, who had received other financial assistance in the year.
