Holiday scheme opens for low-income pensioners

Applications for a new holiday scheme for low-income pensioners for the period of September 1 to December 22 covering accommodation and full board at premises in the mountain resorts and in Pyrgos Tyllyrias opened on Monday, the labour ministry has announced.

These can be submitted by email to [email protected] or at the offices of Comarine travel firm, which has been contracted by the government to manage the bookings, at the following locations:

Central offices: Limassol, Anastasi Sioukri 18, 3105, Tel 25875588

Nicosia: Anastasios G Leventis 3Α, 1097, Tel 22818414

Pancyprian telephone line for information: 77771717

Application forms will be available from Monday at all the citizens’ service centres and the citizens’ centres at the post offices as well as on the website of the labour ministry (www.mlsi.gov.cy). The list of participating hotels and information on the scheme will also be available with the forms.

Participation will be approved on a first come first served basis until the budgeted amount is used up.

The scheme covers a three-night stay, from Friday to Monday or from Tuesday to Friday. Eligible beneficiaries are low-income pensioners who receive the ‘small cheque’, low-income pensioners who receive the minimum guaranteed income, pensioners with an annual income of €15,500 (if living alone) or up to €20,000 for families.

The expenditure for the participation of some 3200 beneficiaries is estimated at €500,000.

Beneficiaries must be permanent residents who have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine or have recovered from the virus up to 180 days before their holiday.

“The aim of the scheme is on the one hand to offer quality services or low-income pensioners and also to support mountains resorts which, through their operation, offer a significant number of jobs in areas outside the towns, reinforcing Cyprus’ tourist product during the winter months, helping in this way to extent the tourist period, and supporting to a significant extent the communities in which they are active,” the labour ministry had said when it first announced the scheme.