Cyprus government will not abolish income criteria for large-family benefits — Cyprus Mail
In Cyprus, the government will retain income criteria for awarding child benefits to families with three or more children. The authorities stated this position at a meeting of the parliamentary labour committee, despite calls from lawmakers and public organisations to abolish these restrictions, Cyprus Mail reports.
Criticism of the bill
Committee chair and Akel MP Giorgos Koukoumas criticised the government's refusal to support the proposed amendments to the child benefits bill. According to him, the improvements provided for in the document do not meet the needs of modern families, while single parents will receive little benefit from them.
Koukoumas also said that President Nikos Christodoulides had failed to fulfil his election promises to strengthen support for single parents and abolish income and property criteria for large families, including those with dependent students. According to him, the proposed increase in payments would amount to 60 euros per year, or 5 euros per month per child, for one category of recipients and 27 euros per year, or less than 2.50 euros per month, for another.
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Proposals to expand support
Diko MP Andreas Apostolou called the bill a step towards extending financial support to several thousand additional families through child benefits and nursery subsidies. At the same time, he stressed the need to increase the programme's budget and raise income thresholds, especially for families with more children.
Apostolou believes that income criteria for large families should be abolished or substantially raised, while university students should continue to be counted as dependent children when determining eligibility for benefits. He also said that the deputy ministry of social welfare had formally supported his proposal to allow Cypriot families returning from abroad to apply for child benefits from the first day after their return.
