GMI forms move online (updated)

Applications for Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI) can now be filed online, the government said on Tuesday.

Deputy minister for social welfare Marilena Evangelou was speaking at the House labour committee.

She said the application process for GMI is now fully digitised, and that the relevant application forms are already available online.

She and the junior minister for research and digital policy will present the new system on Friday.

Evangelou said her ministry is convinced that electronic submissions of GMI will “aid considerably in servicing those eligible for the benefit.”

At the same time, people wanting to use the traditional method – filing paperwork – can continue to do so. In addition, people can call the 1450 helpline for information on GMI.

In parliament, Dipa MP Marinos Mousiouttas noted that the 1450 helpline is finally working, after the initial debacle when – shortly after the service was announced – no one was answering the phones.

According to government data, GMI beneficiaries currently number 20,000. The vast majority are people with disabilities and persons on low-income pensions.

In order to file a GMI application online, one has to be registered with the Ariadne portal.

The required supporting documentation includes: a copy of a marriage certificate or copy of divorce; a copy of disability certification or medical certificate; a copy of school certificate or military service certificate, a copy of house title or copy of rental agreement for the residence one lives in; copies of identity cards of other people living in the same residence; copies of all bank account statements for the last 12 months, for all family members; a copy of IBAN certificate.

GMI is paid directly into a beneficiary’s bank account on the last working day of each month.

Moving on to other matters, Evangelou mentioned the upcoming tabling of a bill on foster parenting.

She said that currently demand for foster parenting outstrips supply, so the government needs to introduce incentives. The legislation will also include provisions for professional foster care – this relates to children with serious physical or mental disability.

The bill is being worked on, and should be tabled after July.

The junior minister also said that the mooted junior ministry for migration would take some of the workload off her own ministry. The new ministry would also handle cases of unaccompanied minors.