Alternate Social Solidarity Minister, Theano Fotiou said on Monday during a radio interview that more than 300,000 families will receive a rent subsidy, as part of the Government budget package of positive measures.
Fotiou said the subsidy along with the widening of children's allowance, which has been granted to 900,000 families, will continue to grow and is proof again of the Government’s commitment to social protections for the vulnerable.
"Social protection was estimated at 780 million euros when we were elected and has already been increased to 2.5 billion euros in conditions of economic suffocation," Fotiou noted.
"All data on poverty released by Eurostat are based on 2016 income. Only in two years, our policies have decreased poverty in general and child poverty, among others," she said.
In 2019, expenditure will reach well over 2 billion euros.
"Children policies have raised the budget from 600 million euros to 1.3 billion euros... In 2019, 400 million euros are expected to be added only for the housing allowance ... the fiscal room for 2019 will be nearly 1 billion euros," she added.
