Cyprus unveils child benefit reform, MPs say support falls short
A bill to relax income criteria for child benefit would add 23,000 families to the rolls, but lawmakers argue the increases are too small to offset living costs.
Cyprus is pushing ahead with changes to its child benefit scheme that would widen eligibility and raise payouts by between 5% and 10%, depending on household income, as Cyprus Mail reports. Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Tina Pavlou presented the bill to the parliamentary labour committee on Tuesday and said 23,000 more families stand to qualify.
Under the plan, the abrupt cutoff that stripped a family of the entire benefit after a small income rise is corrected, and the benefit is tied more closely to support services. Pavlou said roughly 2,000 families and 2,800 children would gain access to a subsidy for tuition and meals. The total cost is set at €12.5 million.
Lawmakers said the bill marks progress but does not go far enough. Committee chair Giorgos Koukoumas, an AKEL MP, said the country spends under 1% of GDP on family and child policy — less than half the EU average — and hands out support "by the dropper." DISY's Andreas Konstantinou warned the rises are so small that families on incomes up to €22,000 a year would see just €5 more per month.
What it means for residents
If the bill passes as drafted, thousands of households just above the current income threshold will start receiving payments they previously missed, and the sharp cliff that cancelled benefits after a minor raise disappears. But the sums remain modest, so the measure is unlikely to shift the monthly budget of most families on its own.
- Check eligibility: families near the income cutoff should review the new thresholds once the bill is voted, as more households will qualify without any application change.
- Expect small gains: lower-income parents will see single-digit euro increases per month, far below recent rises in food and energy bills.
- Watch the amendments: MPs plan to table separate proposals, including faster access to benefits for repatriated families, so final terms may differ from the draft.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
