Greece: Income thresholds exclude families from child benefits

In Greece, current income criteria for family support benefits are causing thousands of families to be excluded from state assistance. Due to a lack of adjustment in the tax scale and income thresholds to match inflation, nominal wage increases—even those below the official inflation rate—are pushing households above the limits required for various subsidies.

Specific examples of this impact include families losing eligibility for housing assistance due to seasonal student income, and families being disqualified from nursery school subsidies because a one-time maternity grant is factored into the following year's total household income. Critics argue that while the government aims for fiscal surpluses, the rigid application of these thresholds effectively penalizes families for modest income growth and the receipt of other state supports.