Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Factsheet for measure CY-2024-8/3491 – measures in Cyprus
Country | Cyprus , applies nationwide |
Time period | Temporary, 21 February 2024 – 31 March 2024 |
Context | Cost of Living Crisis |
Type | Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Category |
Measures to prevent social hardship
– Protection of vulnerable groups (beyond employment support) |
Author | Loucas Antoniou (INEK) and Eurofound |
Measure added | 27 February 2024 (updated 13 March 2024) |
The measure is among a new package of measures announced on 21 February 2024 upon the decision of the Cabinet. It aims to respond to the increasing needs of the households as determined by the on-going increases of prices of essential goods, services, electricity and fuels. It is a one-off support measures targeting particular social groups.
Beneficiaries of the measure are the state beneficiary recipients of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare of the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurances. Beneficiaries will receive a lump-sum support payment on the basis of income criteria, which have not yet been announced.
The beneficiary groups are single and two parent households. They will receive a lump sum payment with the maximum amount of €250 for every child. Households with more than four (4) dependent children will receive an additional amount. Minimum Guaranteed Income recipients that are not included in the above two household categories will also receive a corresponding amount.
It is expected, according to the estimation of the Ministry of Finance, that more than 27,000 households will benefit from the measure.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Does not apply to workers | Does not apply to businesses |
People on social benefits
|
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
|
National funds
|
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
---|---|---|
Role | No involvement | No involvement |
Form | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
There was no involvement of social partners in the decision for the adoption of the measure and the designing. The Ministry of Finance has decided about the measure, which was approved by the Cabinet. The Deputy Ministry of Welfare is the responsible subject for the implementation of the measure.
The whole package of the support measures received harsh criticism from both the opposition political parties and the Pancyprian Federation of Labour (PEO). It has been characterised as insufficient and incomplete as it does not correspond to the increasing needs of households. For the particular measure, the criticism is directed mostly towards the exclusion of pensioners and people with disabilities from the beneficiary list.
Citation
Eurofound (2024), Lump-sum support for households , measure CY-2024-8/3491 (measures in Cyprus), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/CY-2024-8_3491.html
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