Greece to Spend 4 bln on Social Support Programs in 2024

Greece will direct 4 billion euros to the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family in 2024 for eight actions designed to support families and socially vulnerable groups.

Of the amount, 3,718,039,000 euros will be derived from Greece’s annual budget an 274,000,000 will come from public investments funds including the Recovery and Resilience Fund (140,000,000).

The majority of the 4 billion euro budget (98% of it) is slotted for the provision of social benefits and subsidies to local authorities and social organizations, as well for citizens, and will be divided between eight programs.

The programs include:

• Increasing the school meals program by 5 million euros (currently at 102 million)
• Increasing disability allowances from 870 million to 1 billion euros
• Raising housing benefits from 396 million to 400 million
• Increasing uninsured survivors’ allowance from 170 million to 177 million
• Increasing the operating expenditures of the Ministry by 1 million euros and of social welfare centers by 3 million euros
• Increasing the housing and work program by 5 million euros
• Raising the minimum guaranteed income by 8%

The Ministry will also work to address demographic issues such as housing in 2024 and will spend 2.2 billion euros through Greece’s National Action Plan.

The Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family was established for the first time in summer of 2023 and is responsible for demographic and housing policies, solidarity/welfare and poverty fighting policies, and gender equality and human rights.