Minister praises fairer benefit system for the vulnerable

By Angelos Anastasiou
Over 23,000 people have benefited from implementation of the Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI) scheme, while three in five of applicants rejected each possessed wealth valued at over €200,000, Labour Minister Zeta Emilianidou said on Monday.
Speaking after a House Finance committee session, Emilianidou said 12,670 families have thus far been incorporated under the GMI scheme, which translates to 23,500 individuals.
“These recipients are new beneficiaries that have been receiving no state support to this day,” she said.
“It covers the most vulnerable group among the public – low-pension earners, long-term unemployed, low-income employees, and self-employed.”
Total expenditure for the aid adds up to a monthly €4.5 million, well within budget, she added.
The labour minister said every application has been reviewed and none of the criteria applying to existing state benefits have been amended.
“But all applications have been reviewed and we are now in a position to say that we have created a benefits-administration registry, whereby we know who receives and who is entitled to receive benefits,” she noted.
Earlier, Emilianidou told finance committee members that review of GMI applications revealed that half of the rejected applicants had cash deposits anywhere from €25,000 to over €1 million, while 60 per cent of those rejected had wealth over €200,000, and in 94 cases over €1 million.
Asked to comment on caregivers, Emilianidou said the GMI law provides for care for those in need.
“We are evaluating those truly in need of care, and will essentially create a registry of caregivers that will necessarily speak Greek and be trained in first aid, so that proper care can be administered,” she said, pointing out that the cost for caregivers will be drawn from the European Social Fund.
Committee chairman Andreas Fakontis said that, 16 months after the voting of the GMI bill into law, a significant number of applications and appeals remains outstanding.
Although delays are to be expected in setting up a new government scheme, families with no income cannot wait for the state to iron out every problem.
He added that the House must enact legislation to cover the “big group of the long-term unemployed and low-pension earners”.