More than 1.554 million applicants have been approved for this year’s “Yuletide” welfare benefit, the third year in a row that the Tsipras government has returned a portion of revenues that exceeded an annual primary budget surplus – as a percentage of GDP – mandated by creditors.
Dubbed a “social dividend” by the leftist-rightist coalition government, the 710-million outlay for 2018 ranges from 200 to 1,200 euros, with beneficiaries being low-income adults with low-value or no assets to their name.
Bank accounts of some 1.381 million beneficiaries were expected receive the one-off payment by Friday afternoon.
The average welfare benefit per application was roughly 480 euros.
A deadline for applications is Dec. 21.
While again funneling spending towards lower socio-economic groups in society, the government will miss a target of fully covering the state’s arrears to the private sector by the end of the year, which exceed two billion euros.
