Hungary's Prime Minister Peter launches 100,000‑forint school start grant amid criticism of family‑benefit cuts

Prime Minister Peter announced a new school‑start grant of 100,000 forints for children from low‑income families. Eligibility is linked to existing hardship categories, including regular child‑protection benefits, families receiving increased family allowance for severely ill or disabled children, special‑needs pupils, participants in apprenticeship programmes, single‑parent households, and children in foster care. The first half of the payment (50,000 forints) is to be transferred by 24 August, with the remaining half issued as a voucher in November. The grant is tax‑free and cannot be seized.

Critics point out that the government's broader family‑benefit promises have fallen short. Earlier pledges to double family allowance would have required about 300 billion forints, yet the actual disbursements are far smaller. For example, a single parent with three children receives a one‑off 300,000 forints in August, far below the 612,000 forints they expected under the promised double allowance. Roughly 400,000 Hungarian children could receive the new grant, but many families remain disappointed by the limited financial relief.