October 5, 2024

Athens News

News in English from Greece

Christmas one-time benefit: 930 thousand low-income pensioners remain "aside"


The extraordinary benefit, which will be paid until December 20, 2024, will cover about 1.9 million citizens.

However, it is worth noting that low-income pensioners, whose basic pension does not exceed 700 euros in 2025, remained “on the sidelines,” which caused a strong reaction from trade union activists. For the first time in recent years there was no specific provision that would provide at least €150 per low-income beneficiary in 2024.

The list of recipients of state one-time assistance (which is usually provided at the end of the year) includes about 1.9 million citizens, including pensioners, families with children, disabled people, uninsured elderly people and thousands of other vulnerable categories of citizens. The decision on an emergency tax on oil refineries of 243 million euros made it possible to provide an emergency benefit five categories of beneficiaries just before Christmas:

1) 700,000 pensioners with personal difference (the concept of “προσωπική διαφορά” is the difference between the pension that a citizen receives under the old rules and the pension that he would receive under the new rules established by the Katrougalos law. If the pension under the old rules is higher than under the new ones, then this difference is called “προσωπική διαφορά”. In the future, when pensions increase, this difference will gradually decrease until it disappears completely) will receive extraordinary financial assistance in the amount of 100 to 200 euros as follows:

  • Those who receive a basic pension amount of up to 700 euros will be provided with assistance in the amount of 200 euros.
  • Those who receive a basic pension amount between 700.1 and 1100 euros will receive assistance in the amount of 150 euros.
  • For those who receive a basic pension amount from 1100.1 to 1600 euros, the amount of assistance will be 100 euros.

2) 767,000 child benefit recipients CUSTODY will receive an additional part of it.

3) 220,000 recipients of OPECA disability benefits as well as other e-EFKA disability benefits will receive assistance in the amount of 200 euros.

4) 35,000 uninsured beneficiaries of the corresponding OPECA benefit will also receive assistance in the amount of 200 euros.

5) 205,000 minimum guaranteed income beneficiaries will receive an additional 50% of their monthly benefit during December.



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