Financial Support Program for People with Paraplegia, Tetraplegia and Amputations

Financial support for people with paraplegia, tetraplegia and amputations who are uninsured or employed by the public sector is granted to:

1) a) Uninsured people with tetraplegia or paraplegia (regardless of their ability to work) and uninsured older people insured by OGA.

b) Public servants, judges, military personnel, members of the security forces, local government employees and employees of public-law entities insured under the public-sector scheme, whether active or retired, as well as their family members. For this purpose, family members are their spouse and children (the immediate family), as defined in paragraph 7 of decision 59015/1578/1984 (Government Gazette B’ 460).

c) Persons insured by the Clergy Insurance Fund (TAKE), under Article 21(4) of Law 2084/1992 (Government Gazette A’ 165).

d) Beneficiaries of pensions for “war-disabled persons and victims of war” and their family members.

e) Beneficiaries of a transferred State pension (59015/1578/1984, Government Gazette B’ 460).

f) 1) persons who have been found by their insurance bodies not to qualify for the extra-institutional allowance under Article 42 of Law 1140/1981 because they do not meet the applicable insurance requirements; and

2) insured persons and their dependent family members covered by insurance bodies that do not operate a comparable support programme for insured or retired people with tetraplegia or paraplegia.

For the first category of insured persons and pensioners, payment stops as soon as they meet the insurance requirements for the relevant benefit from their insurance body, regardless of the amount to which they are entitled.

For the second category, payment stops if their insurance body introduces a comparable support programme for insured or retired people with tetraplegia or paraplegia and they qualify for it, regardless of the amount payable.

Please note that OPEKA does not pay this support to employees serving in public-law entities or local authorities.  The cost for the public employees listed above and their family members is covered by their employer.

and

2) have been assessed by the competent health committee as having:

a. Paraplegia or tetraplegia, with a disability rate of at least 67%.

b. A condition causing a disability of the same degree (at least 67%) and the same form (tetraplegia or paraplegia) due to irreversible damage to the spinal cord, nerve roots, nerves or muscles.

c. An anatomical-pathology disability rate of at least 67% resulting from amputation, regardless of the amputation site or number of amputated limbs.

d. Conditions causing the same form of disability as paraplegia or tetraplegia, with a disability rate of at least 67%; and

3) reside lawfully and permanently in Greece and, in addition to Greek citizens, be citizens of an EU or EEA Member State or a country covered by the European Convention ratified by Legislative Decree 4017/1959 (Government Gazette A’ 246); or

be recognised refugees whose status is governed by the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (Legislative Decree 3989/1959, Government Gazette A’ 201), as amended by the 1967 New York Protocol (Emergency Law 389/1968, Government Gazette A’ 125); or

be third-country nationals who are family members of a Greek or EU citizen; or

be beneficiaries of international protection; or

hold a lawful residence permit for humanitarian reasons; and

4) not receive, because of their tetraplegia or paraplegia, any other financial support from the State or any domestic or foreign source equal to or greater than the amount currently provided. If they receive a smaller amount, they are paid half of this benefit.

Beneficiaries of this support and uninsured people with amputations who receive care in hospitals, clinics or open-care welfare facilities , receive the full amount. If they receive care in closed-care welfare facilities, they receive half, regardless of whether the facilities are public-law entities, private-law entities or private providers.

Supporting documents:

1. If the applicant is receiving care in an institution, submit a certificate stating whether the welfare facility provides closed or open care.
2. Pensioners

A recent pension payment statement. If it shows an incapacity allowance, submit a certificate confirming whether that allowance is paid because of paraplegia or tetraplegia. (Subject to ex officio document retrieval rules.)3. Employees

The latest monthly payslip.

4. Dependent family members

    a) of employees

The latest monthly payslip and a printout from the e-EFKA services showing the personal details of the person on whose insurance the applicant is a dependant.

b) of pensioners

A pension payment statement and a printout from the e-EFKA services showing the personal details of the person on whose insurance the applicant is a dependant.

5. People directly or indirectly insured, and direct or indirect pensioners under e-EFKA (IKA, OAEE, ETAA, OGA, TSAU, NAT, etc.) must submit a CERTIFICATE/DECISION from their insurance body confirming that they have not established entitlement to the extra-institutional paraplegia/tetraplegia allowance. Under Joint Ministerial Decision P3a/F.27/G.P.oik.124095/2002 (Government Gazette B’ 1594), the tetraplegia/paraplegia benefit for public-sector insured persons and uninsured persons is also granted to people who have been found by their insurance bodies not to qualify for the extra-institutional support because they do not meet the applicable insurance requirements (NAT-insured persons should contact the Seafarers’ House).

6. Status

a. Greek citizens. An identity card must be submitted.

b. Citizens of European Union (EU) Member States. An EU citizen registration certificate must be submitted.

c. Citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) and countries covered by the European Convention ratified by Legislative Decree 4017/1959 (Government Gazette A’ 246). A valid residence permit must be submitted.

d. Recognised refugees permanently residing in Greece whose status is governed by the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (Legislative Decree 3989/1959, Government Gazette A’ 201), as amended by the 1967 New York Protocol (Emergency Law 389/1968, Government Gazette A’ 125). A recognised refugee residence permit must be submitted.

e. Third-country nationals who are family members of a Greek or EU citizen. A valid residence permit as a family member of a Greek or EU citizen must be submitted.

f. Third-country nationals who are beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. A residence permit for a beneficiary of subsidiary protection must be submitted.

g. Third-country nationals who have been granted residence status for humanitarian reasons. A residence permit for humanitarian reasons must be submitted.

Legal framework

1. Provisions of Legislative Decree 162/1973 (Government Gazette A’ 227) on measures to protect older people and people with chronic illnesses.
2. Article 4 of Law 4520/2018 (Government Gazette A’ 30/2018) on the transformation of the Agricultural Insurance Organisation into the Organisation of Welfare Benefits and Social Solidarity (OPEKA) and other provisions.
3. Article 22 of Law 2646/1998 (Government Gazette A’ 236) on the development of the National Social Care System and other provisions.
4. Law 4251/2014 (Government Gazette A’ 80/01-04-2014): Code of Immigration and Social Integration and other provisions.
5. Article 6 of Law 3863/2010 (Government Gazette A’ 115/15-07-2010) on the new social security system and related provisions and employment relations.
6. Article 46 of Law 4025/2011 (Government Gazette A’ 228/02-11-2011) on the reorganisation of social solidarity bodies, rehabilitation centres, restructuring of the National Health System and other provisions.
7. Article 56 of Law 4554/2018 on social security and pension provisions, tackling undeclared work, strengthening worker protection, guardianship of unaccompanied minors and other provisions.
8. Law 4961/2022 (Government Gazette A’ 146/27-07-2022) on emerging information and communications technologies, strengthening digital governance and other provisions (Articles 102–112).
9. Law 5043/2023 (Government Gazette A’ 91/13-04-2023) on first- and second-level local government organisations, companion animal welfare, public-sector staffing, Ministry of Interior provisions and other urgent provisions (Article 95).
10. Joint Ministerial Decision D12a/G.P.oik.68856/2202 (Government Gazette B’ 5855/28-12-2018) assigning OPEKA responsibility for cash welfare benefits for people with disabilities, housing assistance and benefits for expatriate refugees, and setting the administrative process, terms and conditions.
11. Joint Ministerial Decision P3a/F.18/G.P.oik.63731/09-05-2008 (Government Gazette B’ 931) of the Ministers of Economy and Finance and Health and Social Solidarity on increasing welfare benefits paid to people with disabilities.
12. Article 3 of Law 1284/1982 (Government Gazette A’ 114) on certain wage, tax, customs and public accounting matters.
13. Joint Ministerial Decision G4/F29/oik.1931/1982 (Government Gazette B’ 724) on extra-institutional financial support for uninsured people with amputations.
14. Joint Ministerial Decision 115750/3006/10-09-1981 (Government Gazette B’ 571) on financial support for uninsured people with tetraplegia and paraplegia.
15. Joint Ministerial Decision 61384/1638/1983 (Government Gazette B’ 324) setting the monthly social extra-institutional benefit for public-sector insured people with tetraplegia or paraplegia.
16. Joint Ministerial Decision P3a/F.27/G.P.oik.124095/2002 (Government Gazette B’ 1594) extending the tetraplegia/paraplegia benefit to public-sector insured persons and uninsured persons.
17. Article 16 of Law 3106/2003 (Government Gazette A’ 30/10-02-2003) on reorganisation of the National Social Care System and other provisions.
18. Governor’s Decision No. 330 (Government Gazette B’ 4758/2022) aligning disability-related legal requirements for awarding cash welfare benefits to people with disabilities with the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10).