Housing Benefit

An expanded home protection programme

What is the Housing Benefit?

The Housing Benefit is a welfare rent subsidy programme for households renting their main residence. This is the firstcoordinated effortby the country to establish acoherent housing policy and an effective system of social protection for primary residenceson this scale.

What is the amount of the benefit?

The Housing Benefit is calculated as follows:

• For the beneficiary: EUR 70 per month
• For each additional household member, an additional EUR 35 per month.

A minor child is counted as an adult both when calculating income criteria and when calculating household income.The chosen scale places emphasis on children, with the clear aim of encouraging births, while special provision is made for single-parent families and households with unprotected children.

For a single-parent family, an additional EUR 70 per month is provided for the first minor household member.

For households with unprotected children, an additional EUR 70 per month is provided for each unprotected child.

The maximum Housing Benefit is EUR 210 per month, regardless of household composition.

If the rent in the lease is lower than the amounts above, the benefit is limited to the rent amount.Leases with rent below EUR 10 are not accepted.

Can I qualify? What are the criteria?

The criteria concern income, property and residence.

A) Income

Total income must not exceed EUR 7,000 for a one-person household, increased by EUR 3,500 for each additional member. For a single-parent family, the limit is increased by EUR 7,000 for the first minor household member. For households with unprotected children, the limit is increased by EUR 7,000 for each unprotected child.

Total annual income must not exceed EUR 21,000, regardless of household composition.

Please note:Child Benefit, non-contributory disability benefits and the foster care allowance are not counted towards the income limit for the rent subsidy.

All other actual or imputed income from any source is included, before tax and after social security contributions, received by all household members, as shown in the latest assessed income tax returns.

The Housing Benefit is also tax-free, is not considered income, cannot be seized, and is not counted when determining income support or the income limits for the Minimum Guaranteed Income and Child Benefit.

B) Property criteria

1) Immovable property:

The total taxable value of the household’s immovable property must not exceed EUR 120,000 for a one-person household, increased by EUR 15,000 for each additional member, up to EUR 180,000.

2) Asset presumption:

The total interest earned on deposits held by household members in Greece or abroad, as declared in the latest assessed income tax return (E1), must not exceed the annual amount calculated using this formula:

Annual interest = deposit limit for each household type x average annual deposit interest rate / 100

The deposit limits for each household type (including deposits, shares, bonds, etc.) must not exceed EUR 7,000 for a one-person household, increased by EUR 3,500 for each additional member. For a single-parent family, the limit is increased by EUR 7,000 for the first minor household member. For households with unprotected children, it is increased by EUR 7,000 for each unprotected child.

Applications are not accepted from households whose members, according to the latest assessed income tax return:

• are subject to the luxury living tax;
• declare expenses for the wages of yacht crews;
• declare private school tuition expenses exceeding EUR 1,500;
• declare expenses for domestic help, car drivers, tutors and other staff, as specified in the relevant fields of form E1.

C) Residence criteria

The beneficiary must have resided legally and permanently in Greece for the five years before applying, as evidenced by filing income tax returns for those yearsorbyany other appropriate supporting documentprovided that the tax returns were filed during the year in which the filing deadline applied.

Third-country nationals, except ethnic Greeks and citizens of EU Member States, must have resided legally and permanently in Greece for the 12 years before applying.

The other household members must also reside legally and permanently in Greece.

When is the benefit granted and how long does it last?

The benefit is granted following submission of an application and lasts for six months.

IMPORTANT: AUTOMATIC RENEWAL OF AN APPLICATION FOR AN ADDITIONAL SIX-MONTH PERIOD HAS BEEN ABOLISHED. ALL APPLICATIONS ARE VALID FOR SIX MONTHS. AFTER THIS PERIOD, BENEFICIARIES MUST SUBMIT A NEW APPLICATION TO CONTINUE RECEIVING SUPPORT FROM THE PROGRAMME.

Can I apply to join the programme again after six months?

After six months from the approval decision, the beneficiary may submit a new application to join the programme.

How is the benefit paid?

The benefit is paid monthly, on the last working day of the month, by transfer to the beneficiary’s bank account.IMPORTANT: the benefit is not paid if the applicant has not provided a bank account number (IBAN) in which they are the account holder or joint account holder, or if theIBANcannot be matched to the beneficiary’s tax identification number (AFM).

Entitlement to payment begins on the first day of the month following the month in which the application was submitted.

How can I submit an application?

Applications are submitted online either directly by applicants through the benefit platform or through the competent municipal authorities or Community Centres in the applicants’ municipality of residence.Households with unprotected children and single-parent families must apply exclusively through municipalities or Community Centres.

The person named on the lease for the main residence must submit the application in person, and all adult household members must have filed an income tax return. If the household also includes hosted members, the application is submitted by the person responsible for filing the income tax return, or that person’s spouse, on behalf of all household members.

Applicants must enter their contact details in the relevant fields, specifically an email address and mobile phone number, as well as their AFM and AMKA. Personal details, household composition, tax and financial information are retrieved through connections or cross-checks with the databases of AADE, IDIKA, EFKA, DEDDIE, and the Ministries of Migration Policy, Education and Labour.If a discrepancy is found, the application remains pending and the applicant must submitonlyto the Municipality ortheCommunity Centre any appropriate document supporting the household’s actual circumstances.

Can I apply from home?

Yes. Applicants can submit an application online through the programme website using their personal AADE TAXISnet credentials. Entering these credentials constitutes consent to the cross-checks that will be carried out.

For a household with multiple members, adult members must provide consent using their TAXISnet credentials. Consent from every adult member is required to complete the application.

Can I apply through a Community Centre?

Yes. Applicants must visit an authorised employee of their municipality or Community Centre in person and provide the consent form available on the programme website. The form must be signed by all adult household members, with each signature duly certified. By signing, members consent to all cross-checks that will be carried out to verify their information.

Applications may be submitted by an authorised representative only when the applicant has serious health reasons.

The consent form must also be submitted fora one-person household.If the application also covers hosted persons, all adult hosted members must sign the consent form. To complete the application, the authorised employee informs the applicant of the information available from the electronic databases. The applicant identifies any missing information.

After entering the application details into the online platform, the authorised employee prints the complete application with the information provided.

If the information provided does not match the cross-check results, the application remains pending and the applicant must submit appropriate documents to the Municipality or Community Centre to substantiate the household’s actual circumstances.

If, after final submission and processing, the household meets the programme criteria, the application is accepted and automatically marked ‘Approved’. The beneficiary may amend an approved application directly or through the Municipality or Community Centre where they live, throughout the programme, solely to correct contact details, home address or bank account number (IBAN).

A handwritten lease may be submitted only in the cases described in POL 1028/23.1.2015, where an electronic lease cannot be drawn up for specific categories of owners or properties.

If, after final submission and processing, the household does not meet the programme criteria, the application is automatically marked ‘Not approved’. The reasons for rejection are shown on the programme platform.

What happens if the applicant in a multi-person household dies?

If the applicant dies, the application for the entire multi-person household is withdrawn. Withdrawal takes place automatically following an electronic cross-check or after an application by a household member.

In this case, the remaining household members may submit a new application before six months have passed from the date of the approval decision.

Can the benefit be paid retroactively?

A recommendation for retroactive payment may be made if the beneficiary did not receive the benefit for reasons demonstrably not attributable to them, or because of negligence by the competent municipal employees.

Which supporting documents must I provide?

To receive the Housing Benefit, the electronic lease must be declared and accepted. It must be valid on the application date and throughout the benefit period. The lease does not need to have been in force for six months before the application.

• The electricity supply contract for the rented home must be in the name of the applicant or a household member.
• Depending on the case, the following documents must be submitted to municipalities or Community Centres:

a) If the household composition differs from the results of the electronic cross-checks, provide any document that substantiates the change (for example, a birth certificate or a copy of a death certificate).

b) To verify the residence criterion, provide timely-filed income tax returns for those years or another appropriate supporting document.

c) If the applicant or an adult household member is a third-country national, provide a valid residence permit or proof of an application to renew it for the period under review (five years or, where required, twelve years).

What are beneficiaries’ obligations?

Beneficiaries and the other adult household members must:

a) File an income tax return every year.

b) Consent to the use of AADE databases and all cross-checks carried out by IDIKA S.A. to verify the details of every household member, including hosted persons.

c) Consent to the use of their information solely for the purpose of evaluating the programme.

d) Consent to a social assessment and, if required, home visits by competent employees to verify the household composition and living conditions in person.

e) Immediately report any interruption or expiry of the lease during the benefit period.

f) Include in their next income tax return all changes reported during the application process.

g) Ensure that minor household members attend compulsory education.

FOR HOUSEHOLDS WITH MINOR CHILDREN SUBJECT TO COMPULSORY EDUCATION, THE CHILDREN MUST BE ENROLLED IN SCHOOL FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR AND MUST HAVE ATTENDED SUFFICIENTLY DURING THE PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEAR FOR THE HOUSEHOLD TO APPLY FOR THE HOUSING BENEFIT. THIS REQUIREMENT IS MET IF THE MINOR CHILD IS NOT REQUIRED TO REPEAT THE SAME GRADE BECAUSE OF ABSENCES.

SUFFICIENT ATTENDANCE BY MINOR HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS DURING THE PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEAR IS REQUIRED FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER THE END OF THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR. ENROLMENT OF A MINOR HOUSEHOLD MEMBER IN COMPULSORY EDUCATION AS A CONDITION FOR PAYMENT OF THE BENEFIT IS REQUIRED FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR.

h) Request withdrawal of the approval decision: 1) during the month in which the application was submitted, if household composition or residence status changes; 2) if the lease for the main residence ends; 3) during the month they move abroad; 4) if they become involved in the relevant circumstances involuntarily; and 5) by the month following the beneficiary’s death.

Which households are excluded from the programme?

The following households are excluded:

a) Households enrolled in another rent subsidy or rent coverage programme (for example, housing assistance for uninsured older people);

b) Households renting homes without electricity;

c) Households renting only part of a home;

d) Households renting a home owned by a first-degree relative by blood or marriage, a spouse or former spouse, or the other party to a civil partnership.

IMPORTANT:LEASES BETWEEN FIRST-DEGREE RELATIVES BY BLOOD OR MARRIAGE, SPOUSES OR FORMER SPOUSES, OR PARTIES TO A CIVIL PARTNERSHIP ARE NOT ACCEPTED. THIS RELATIONSHIP IS ASSESSED ACROSS ALL HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS, NOT ONLY THE APPLICANT.

e) Households renting a home that was granted to them within the three years before applying.

INFORMATION

This rent subsidy welfare programme, with an annual budget of EUR 300 million, is intended for 260,000 households and 667,000 people.

We are building a modern and effective welfare state centred on people in need.

Solidarity in action!

Benefit amount

Total income

Movable property limit

Immovable property limit