Low income pensioners to get Easter bonus

Over 16,000 low-income pensioners are set to receive a €190 Easter allowance following a relevant cabinet decision on Wednesday.

But the announcement was met with dissatisfaction by the pensioners’ association Ekysy who said the criteria deprive the vast majority of low-income pensioners from the benefit.

Eligible for the benefit are pensioners who receive less than €7,000 per year or €12,000 for a two-person household.

The income threshold is adjusted based on the composition of the household, meaning it is increased by €2,100 for each dependent under 14 years of age and by €3,500 for each dependent over 14 years of age, the deputy ministry of social welfare said.

It added that the number of low-income pensioners expected to benefit is around 16,200 and the estimated expenditure around €3.07 million.

The Easter allowance will be paid into the accounts of beneficiaries, by bank transfer, on April 12.

The same criteria were set by Anastasiades’ government, Ekysy said later in the day, expressing dissatisfaction with the decision that ignored the union’s demands.

Ekysy said it expected the new government to reinstate the criteria that applied before the economic crisis or, at least in the first instance, to make the Easter allowance available to all low-income pensioners.

Instead, the new government continues to divide pensioners into poor and poorer, said the union. They added that the number of low pensioners expected to benefit from the Easter bonus this year is about 16,200, while last year it was announced that 18,882 low pensioners were entitled to it.