Eurofound's COVID-19 EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the crisis, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Overview of measures by category
Cases in this category contain all types of income support measures beyond the short-time work schemes (which are listed under the category 'Employment protection and retention'). This category includes income support measures which had been recently extended or newly introduced for workers who would not have been eligible for such support otherwise. This includes predominantly the self-employed, but also fixed-term workers, seasonal workers and those with insufficient contribution records to be entitled to social protection. In addition, it includes other types of changes to income support benefits which workers affected may now receive: unemployment benefits, sick leave benefits while in quarantine or self-isolating, and changes to parental leave or childcare entitlements with the related benefits.
Overall, Eurofound has identified 145 measures in 28 countries for this category.
28 December 2020 |
First aid Plus Measure 2: Support to self-employed
Support to self-employed - First aid Plus Measure 2
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
21 December 2020 |
Extraordinary income and operational continuity indemnity
Italy, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
17 December 2020 |
First Aid Plus - Measure 5 (SOS subsidy for people without any other income)
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 November 2020 |
Unemployment benefit and extension of protection to the cultural sector
Spain, Other initiatives or policies |
28 October 2020 Updated |
Extension of unemployment benefits to self-employed
Latvia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
27 October 2020 |
Creative workers employment program
Latvia, Other initiatives or policies |
07 October 2020 |
Self-employed can pause their business in order to receive unemployment insurance
Sweden, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
05 October 2020 |
Bridging subsidy Corona for self-employed with a disability
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
29 September 2020 Updated |
Special scheme for certain categories of self-employed
Cyprus, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
21 September 2020 |
Benefits for people engaged in individual agricultural activities
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
17 August 2020 |
Support to professionals in the creative industries
Netherlands, Other initiatives or policies |
14 July 2020 Updated |
Emergency income
Italy, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 July 2020 |
Support to collective leaders participating in the song and dance festival movement
Estonia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 July 2020 |
Implementation of new emergency aid for independant workers
Luxembourg, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 July 2020 Updated |
Financial support for seasonal employees who are not re-hired in 2020
Greece, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 July 2020 |
Social support for artists, authors, technicians and other arts professionals
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 July 2020 |
Protection of self-employed and informal workers
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 July 2020 |
Temporary right to unemployment benefits for laid-off third-country nationals
Norway, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
05 July 2020 |
Income support for returning Romanian migrant workers, youth and elderly
Romania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
03 July 2020 |
Increase of the tax-exempt amount of income for workers earning below the annual minimum wage
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
01 July 2020 |
Emergency support allowance for artists
Cyprus, Other initiatives or policies |
19 June 2020 Updated |
SOS subsidy for people without any other income introduced
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
14 May 2020 Updated |
Bavaria: Extended aid for solo self-employed artists and performers
Germany, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
25 April 2020 Updated |
Entrepreneur's wage (part of the company subsidy for fixed costs)
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
25 April 2020 |
New compensation scheme for laid off apprentices
Norway, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
21 April 2020 Updated |
Temporary subsidy for self-employed
Netherlands, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
17 April 2020 Updated |
Temporary income assurance scheme for self-employed and freelancers
Norway, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
17 April 2020 |
Temporary prolongation of the payment period during layoff
Norway, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 |
Support scheme for artists with different types of income
Denmark, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 Updated |
Measures supporting solo self-employed and freelancers
Poland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 Updated |
State income benefit to support freelancers, self-employed and sole proprietors
Greece, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
15 April 2020 |
Exceptional unemployment benefit for employees with temporary contracts
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
15 April 2020 Updated |
Increased access to unemployment benefits and sickness benefits
Denmark, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
15 April 2020 Updated |
COVID-19 - Arts and culture - Overview of support measures for artists
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
15 April 2020 |
Extension of the extraordinary subsidy for lack of activity to domestic workers
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 |
Financial aid for solo self-employed negatively affected by COVID-19
Finland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
12 April 2020 |
Income protection for self-employed workers and freelancers affected by the state of emergency
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
12 April 2020 Updated |
COVID-19: Assisting artists and freelancers
Bulgaria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 April 2020 Updated |
Replacement income for self-employed (bridging right)
Belgium, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 April 2020 |
Scheme for the remuneration of contract workers and self-employed in the afternoon programmes of the Ministry of Education
Cyprus, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 April 2020 Updated |
Extraordinary support for the reduction of self-employed economic activity
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 April 2020 Updated |
COVID-19 indemnity for self-employed, economically dependent workers and employees
Italy, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 April 2020 Updated |
Allowances for idle time for self-employed
Latvia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 April 2020 Updated |
Basic income support for solo self-employed
Germany, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
08 April 2020 Updated |
Support for persons in the sector arts and entertainment
Croatia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
08 April 2020 |
Allowance for self-employed and non-standard workers
Romania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
08 April 2020 Updated |
Extension of entitlement to financial assistance for permanent seasonal workers
Croatia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 April 2020 Updated |
Subsistence support for freelancers in creative industries
Estonia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 April 2020 Updated |
Special scheme for self-employed workers
Cyprus, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 April 2020 Updated |
Compensation for self-employed
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 April 2020 |
Establishment of an emergency fund for the self-employed
Luxembourg, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
05 April 2020 Updated |
Compensation bonus for self-employed and certain shareholders
Czechia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
04 April 2020 Updated |
Person with disability benefit who cannot work for medical reasons can apply for benefit
Malta, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
03 April 2020 Updated |
Temporary recognition of entrepreneurs as recipients of labour market subsidy
Finland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
31 March 2020 Updated |
Self-employed income support scheme
United Kingdom, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
31 March 2020 Updated |
Hardship case fund: Safety net for self-employed
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
22 September 2020 |
Agreement on social support for the crisis linked to COVID-19 within the Safran group
France, Bipartite collective agreements |
02 September 2020 |
Temporary unemployment premium for employees in the metal sector
Belgium, Bipartite collective agreements |
15 July 2020 |
Suspension of conditionality requirements for income support measures
Italy, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
02 July 2020 Updated |
Temporary job-search benefit for unemployed who would otherwise not be eligible to receive benefits
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
02 July 2020 Updated |
Exceptional unemployment benefits
Slovenia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 May 2020 Updated |
Suspension of the degressivity of unemployment benefits during the crisis
Belgium, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
25 April 2020 Updated |
COVID-19 pandemic unemployment payment introduced
Ireland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 Updated |
Extension of expired or expiring unemployment benefit payments
Greece, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 Updated |
Financial support for suspended and dismissed employees
Greece, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 Updated |
Three months' suspension of eligibility criteria for long-term unemployment benefit holders
Denmark, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Online application for unemployment benefit
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 |
Automatic extension of unemployment benefits
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Temporary reinforcement of unemployment insurance
Sweden, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Temporarily shortened working requirement for unemployment benefit eligibility
Finland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Cancellation of the unemployment allowance deductible period in the case of temporary layoff or dismissal
Finland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
State-funded unemployment security during the waiting period
Finland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 |
Extension of unemployment benefit entitlements for jobseekers
France, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
12 April 2020 Updated |
COVID-19: Unemployed can take seasonal work in agriculture without loss of benefits
Bulgaria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 April 2020 |
Exceptional support measures for intermittent workers and employees in the cultural sector
France, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
08 April 2020 Updated |
Extraordinary extension of unemployment benefit and social benefit
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 April 2020 Updated |
Extension of the support period for unemployment benefit
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
04 April 2020 Updated |
Additional unemployed benefit
Malta, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
31 March 2020 |
Extension of protection for unemployment benefits
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
17 January 2021 |
Unemployment benefit for recent graduates
Latvia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
21 December 2020 |
New COVID-19 related provisions for the bilateral fund for domestic workers Cassacolf
Italy, Bipartite collective agreements |
28 November 2020 |
Trenord: New company health insurance policy in case of COVID-19 infection
Italy, Company practices |
04 November 2020 |
New regulations regarding the medical leave and indemnity for quarantined or isolated employees
Romania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 July 2020 Updated |
Sickness compensation for COVID-19 risk groups can be paid preventively
Sweden, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 July 2020 |
Support for people at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 virus
Denmark, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
11 May 2020 |
Sick leave allowance for people returning from abroad and their household members under quarantine
Poland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
11 May 2020 |
Periods of isolation assimilated into accidents at work in terms of economic benefits
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 May 2020 Updated |
Sickness leave paid by state in case of COVID-19 infection
Latvia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
25 April 2020 |
Special Act on sickness benefits and flexible distribution of work
Denmark, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
25 April 2020 |
Increased illness benefit for COVID-19 absences
Ireland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
22 April 2020 |
Extended right to medical leave and allowances for quarantine leave
Romania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
19 April 2020 |
Reduction of employer's responsibility for funding sick leave to three days if illness is Covid-19-related
Norway, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 |
Workers belonging to the COVID-19 risk group may abstain from work
Greece, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
15 April 2020 Updated |
Doctor's certificate no longer mandatory during the first two weeks of sick leave
Sweden, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
14 April 2020 Updated |
Changes to statutory sick pay (SSP)
United Kingdom, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Sick pay standard reduction suspended - Encouraging employees to stay home
Sweden, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
'Disease carriers allowance' extended to high-risk groups
Sweden, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Central government assumes sick pay responsibility
Sweden, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 |
Exceptional and temporary recognition of the right to sick pay
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Reclaiming of statutory sick pay by SMEs
United Kingdom, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 April 2020 |
Income protection for the workers' period of quarantine
Italy, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 April 2020 Updated |
Sick leave during pandemic covered by state funds
Slovenia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
08 April 2020 |
Introduction of the pandemic sickness benefit
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
08 April 2020 Updated |
Sick leave amendments
Estonia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 April 2020 Updated |
Special sick leave allowance for vulnerable workers and for mandatory quarantine
Cyprus, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 April 2020 |
Compensation for doctors and other officials infected with COVID-19 during their duty
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 April 2020 Updated |
Compensation for employees in self-isolation
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 April 2020 |
Employers' dispensation to pay a compensation for sick leave
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
04 April 2020 |
Quarantine leave - Grants for employers
Malta, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
04 April 2020 Updated |
Medical benefit for COVID-19 risk group who cannot carry out their work
Malta, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
23 November 2020 |
German Railways (DB) collective agreement 'Corona package'
Germany, Bipartite collective agreements |
01 November 2020 |
Care allowance in crisis - during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic
Czechia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 October 2020 |
Allowance for parents of children with special needs
Estonia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
30 September 2020 |
Temporary unemployment in case of school closure
Belgium, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 July 2020 Updated |
Pandemic-related parental leave in order to take care of children under 13
Luxembourg, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 July 2020 Updated |
Lump-sum payments for unemployed and children
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 July 2020 Updated |
In-work benefit for working parents
Malta, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
03 July 2020 |
A lump sum payment for children on top of child benefit
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
02 June 2020 Updated |
Exceptional support to workers' families
Portugal, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
29 May 2020 Updated |
Compensation of income losses for parents affected by lockdowns
Germany, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
29 May 2020 |
Adjustments to parental allowances
Germany, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
19 May 2020 Updated |
COVID-19 parental leave
Belgium, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
11 May 2020 |
Care allowances for working parents forced to provide personal daycare for young children due to school/pre-school system lockdown
Poland, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
21 April 2020 |
Extended right to care benefit for employed parents
Norway, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
16 April 2020 Updated |
Special purpose leave for working parents
Greece, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
14 April 2020 Updated |
Additional child-bonus for employees entitled to the allowance for idle time
Latvia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 |
Stricter rules on leave for family reasons in connection with the Coronavirus epidemic
Luxembourg, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
13 April 2020 Updated |
Special subsidised care time for working parents and carers
Austria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
12 April 2020 Updated |
Work stoppage to care for a child under 16 years of age
France, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
12 April 2020 |
Right to flexible schedule and reduction of working hours for workers with care responsibilities
Spain, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
12 April 2020 Updated |
COVID-19: Assistance for parents taking unpaid leave due to a state of emergency
Bulgaria, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 April 2020 Updated |
Family care leave for family support introduced
Luxembourg, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 April 2020 Updated |
Leave and allowance for workers with children and other dependants
Italy, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
09 April 2020 Updated |
Free paid days to parents for the purpose of childcare
Romania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
07 April 2020 Updated |
Care allowance during emergency period for homeschooling 6 to 13 year-old children
Czechia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 April 2020 Updated |
Compensation for employees looking after children or disabled persons while in quarantine
Lithuania, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 April 2020 |
Special paid leave for the caring of children
Cyprus, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
06 April 2020 Updated |
Introduction of a pandemic nursing benefit
Slovakia, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
04 April 2020 Updated |
New parental benefit to care for children during school closures
Malta, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
11 January 2021 Updated |
Assistance for families with children at home during COVID-19
Denmark, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 January 2021 |
Instant support for employees with care duties
Germany, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 January 2021 |
Parental leave payment flexibilisation
Germany, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
10 January 2021 |
Income compensation in case of school or nursery closures (BMFSFJ)
Germany, Legislations or other statutory regulations |
02 December 2020 |
Luxottica: Welfare and solidarity in times of COVID-19
Italy, Bipartite collective agreements |
07 May 2020 |
Renault Trucks: Solidarity agreement
France, Bipartite collective agreements |
Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process. All information is preliminary and subject to change.