The guaranteed minimum income (ελάχιστο εγγυημένο εισόδημα),1491 formerly known as Social Solidarity Income (Κοινωνικό Επίδομα Αλληλεγγύης “KEA”, established in February 2017 as a new welfare programme regulated by Law 4389/2016). 1492 Since December 2023, the guaranteed minimum income is € 216 per month for a single-person household, plus €108 per month for each additional adult member of the household and € 54 per month for each child of the household. 1493 It is a necessary safety net to combat the effects of poverty and prevent social exclusion. 1494 In practice, in order to receive this benefit, applicants must have filed a tax declaration, which means they must have been in the country for at least one year. Therefore, those who are recognised as beneficiaries of international protection quickly will only be entitled to this benefit after one year. Unfortunately, except for the “guaranteed minimum income”, there are no other effective allowances in practice. There is no provision of State social support for vulnerable cases of beneficiaries such as victims of torture. The only psychosocial and legal support addressed to the identification and rehabilitation of torture victims in Greece is offered by three NGOs, GCR, Day Centre Babel and MSF, which means that the continuity of the programme depends on funding. Uninsured retiree benefit: Retired beneficiaries of international protection, in principle have the right to the Social Solidarity Benefit of Uninsured Retirees.1495 However, the requirement of 15 years of permanent residence in Greece in practice excludes from this benefit seniors who are newly recognised beneficiaries. The period spent in Greece as an asylum applicant is not calculated towards the 15-year period, since legally the application for international protection is not considered as a residence permit. In GCR’s experience, uninsured recognised refugees are asked to provide a recent certificate from the competent consulate of their country, officially translated and legally certified proving whether they receive any pension from their country of birth. This certificate is impossible to obtain since refugees are persecuted and cannot address any diplomatic authority of their country of origin. In case they address the diplomatic authority of their country of origin they are at risk of revocation of their refugee status. Housing assistance allowance for uninsured elderly persons: Retired beneficiaries of international protection, in principle have the right to this allowance, if they demonstrate 12 years of permanent stay in Greece1496 The granting of social assistance is not conditioned on residence in a specific place. It is noteworthy that from 15 March 2025, a new method of payment of certain welfare benefits in cash, as well as allowances and financial assistance paid by the Public Employment Service (DYPA) and the Organisation for Welfare Benefits and Social Solidarity (OPEKA) will be implemented. In particular, it is foreseen that they will be paid by crediting a special prepaid card issued by a Payment Service Provider, where the beneficiary has an active payment account (IBAN). Beneficiaries will be able to withdraw up to 50% of the amount of each benefit in cash, while the remainder will be spent exclusively through the use of the prepaid card. Nineteen (19) types of social benefits will be paid according the aforementioned manner. The most important are the following: (i) Guaranteed minimum income, (ii) Fostering allowance,1497 (iii) Birth allowance, (iv) Child benefit (A21),1498 iv) Regular unemployment benefit, (v) Longterm unemployed benefit, (vi) Unemployment allowance for the self-employed, (vii) Employment Benefit, 1491 1492 1493 1494 1495 1496 1497 1498 Article 29(2) Law 4659/2020, Gov. Gazette A’ 21/3.2.2020. Article 235 Law 4389/2016. See also KEA, ‘Πληροφορίες για το ΚΕΑ’, available in Greek at: http://bit.ly/2HcB6XT. OPEKA, Guaranteed minimum income (Ελάχιστο Εγγυημένο Εισόδημα): Legislation, available in Greek at: https://opeka.gr/elachisto-engyimeno-eisodima/. OPEKA, Guaranteed minimum income (Ελάχιστο Εγγυημένο Εισόδημα), available in Greek at: https://opeka.gr/elachisto-engyimeno-eisodima/. Article 93 Law 4387/2016. Article 2(1)(b) JMD 30105/25.05.2021, Gov. Gazette B 2156/25.05.2021. Organisation for Welfare Benefits and Social Solidarity (OPEKA), Fostering Allowance, available in Greek here. Organisation for Welfare Benefits and Social Solidarity (OPEKA), hild benefir (Α21) , available in Greek here. 289