The Ministry of Social Cohesion and Familywith the supervised welfare organization Bid and social solidarity (OPECA), they inform that on Monday 31/03, the benefits will be paid for March, totaling 264,729,437 euros.
It is recalled that March allowances (minimum guaranteed income, birth and foster) will be paid through the new institution of the prepaid cardas a statement by the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family points out.
Also, The second installment of the A21-Child Breach will be paid via a prepaid card on May 30, 2025.
Specifically:
- Child Allowance: Beneficiaries 455,423 – 81,878,334 euros
- Housing Allowance: Beneficiaries 194,492 – 23,499,518 euros
- Minimum Guaranteed Income: Beneficiaries 162.020 – 36.935.390 euros
- Disability: Beneficiaries 193,440 – 89,298,674 euros
- Housing Subscription allowance: Beneficiaries of 525 – 172,058 euros
- Homogeneous allowance: Beneficiaries of 5,270 – 188,066 euros
- Elderly Uninsured Allowance, Law 1296/1982: Beneficiaries 13,440 – 5,174,500 euros
- Elderly Social Solidarity Allowance: Beneficiaries 20,917 – 9,091,018 euros
- Funeral expenses: Beneficiaries 106 – 83,685 euros
- Birth Allowance: Beneficiaries 9,953 – 13,027,350 euros
- Mountain and Disadvantaged Area Allowance: Beneficiaries of 2 – 600 euros
- Red Loans: Beneficiaries 2,575 – 234,343 euros
- Protected children of deceased in natural disasters: Beneficiaries of 21-21,000 euros
- Vulnerable debtors: Beneficiaries 269 – 28,830 euros
- Undertake: Beneficiaries 601 – 457.122 euros
- Personal Assistant Program: Beneficiaries 1,787 – 1,348,624 euros
- Solidarity Allowance for the Greek Minority of Albania: Beneficiaries 13,542 – 3,290,325 euros
The total of the beneficiaries amounts to 1,074,383, while the total payments amount to 264,729,437
It is recalled that the March allowances (minimum guaranteed income, birth and foster) will be paid through the new institution of the prepaid card.
During the operation of the new information system – which supports the process of issuing prepaid cards – there were cases of beneficiaries who were unable to complete, by 24.03.2025, the prescribed application procedure, thus not receiving their prepaid cards due to:
- Lack of bank account to payment service providers (PYP).
- Difficulty completing the application even some who had an account.
- Need for extra time to gather supporting documents.
The payment will be made for the last time and for the last time, in the account number they have received their benefits to date on the basis of their application in order to ensure their uninterrupted support.
We also remind you that the second installment of the A21-Child Child, will be paid via a prepaid card on 30 May 2025.
Prepaid card for OPECA beneficiaries
According to a note by the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family, another step in implementing a very large reform, the payment of social benefits through prepaid cards, which reaches 1.4 million beneficiaries of 19 OPECA and DBA benefits, is being carried out.
Specifically, on Monday, March 31, the payment of three OPECA benefits (minimum guaranteed income, birth allowance, fostering allowance) begins to 164,297 beneficiaries through a prepaid card.
In particular, A benefits will be paid through a prepaid card:
- Minimum guaranteed income of EUR 35,045 million, at 154,051 beneficiaries,
- Birth Allowance of EUR 12,688 million, in 9,705 beneficiaries,
- Subsidiary allowance of 404,000 euros, 541 beneficiaries.
In terms of Child Allowance (A21), the first installment in 410,864 beneficiaries, will be paid today March 28th to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. The second installment will be paid on May 30, 2025 with a prepaid card.
How the prepaid card works
Each beneficiary corresponds to a single prepaid card for the payment of all social benefits that fall into the new payment method. Beneficiaries will be able to withdraw cash up to 50% of the amount of each allowance paid, while the remainder will be spent exclusively through the use of the prepaid card.
The new method of payment of benefits ensures:
Transparency: The prepaid card enhances the volume of electronic transactions and combats the black economy. A total of 3 billion will be credited to a prepaid card. euro on an annual basis through all the benefits paid.
Simplification and transaction security: The new way facilitates beneficiaries in their transactions. Specifically, the purchase of goods and services are either remotely or via POS.
Social integration: The new method integrates into the banking system those beneficiaries who were excluded from it, such as homeless and Roma, who received their cash benefits through ELTA. In the new way they gain access to banking services.
What will apply to those who have not yet purchased the prepaid card
From February 2025 until today, there has been continuous updating of beneficiaries (in three different ways, in three different periods of time) for the entry into force of the prepaid card and the actions in which the beneficiaries must take it.
Specifically, from 22 February to March 20, about 700,000 beneficiaries have been informed by email from the project’s integrated information system (IIS). There has also been information from OPECA by email and written messages to more than 9,000 beneficiaries. Finally, the DPA has informed about 230,000 beneficiaries with a personalized message.
For those who, however, have not yet obtained the prepaid card, which are estimated at 8,277 people, will be allowed for the last time the benefits they are entitled to in the way they have received them to date. From April 30 onwards, the payment will only be paid through the prepaid card. The majority of those who have not obtained their card are beneficiaries who received their cash allowances through ELTA.
These beneficiaries will be informed in two ways:
- Through ELTA with a personalized form that will be served on them when receiving the allowance.
- By email and SMS from OPECA.
The information received by 8,277 beneficiaries will concern the actions they should take to issue the prepaid card.
Specifically to complete the process and send the card to the desired address, beneficiaries must immediately open a bank account to a payment service provider participating in the program (National, Alpha, Piraeus, Eurobank, Attica, Cooperative Bank of Thessaly, Cooperative Bank and Cooperative Bank and Cooperative Bank) Taxisnet codes at https://prepaid.minscfa.gov.gr. They must add IBAN and their address and submit the application.
If the procedure is not completed, the card will be issued delay, resulting in a risk that they will not receive their allowance on April 30. It is therefore very important for the beneficiaries to proceed immediately with the request for issuance of the card to ensure that their benefits be paid by April without problems.