The Council of Ministers has approved a series of major social policy measures, including a new public work scheme for Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI/ΕΕΕ) recipients, expanded benefits for 1974 war victims and the country’s first National Strategy and Action Plan for Early Childhood Education and Care.
Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Klea Hadjistephani-Papaellina outlined the decisions after Tuesday’s cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace.
New public work scheme for GMI recipients
The first decision concerns the establishment of a special public work scheme aimed at GMI beneficiaries who are deemed able to work. The goal, the Deputy Minister said, is to provide opportunities for gaining professional experience while supporting social reintegration.
The scheme will be implemented jointly by the Social Benefits Management Service and the Cyprus Volunteerism Coordinative Council.
“The purpose is to activate eligible GMI recipients through public-benefit work in the public sector, the wider public sector and local authorities,” Hadjistephani-Papaellina said. Participants will be able to gain work experience, improve their employability and gradually reduce dependency on welfare payments.
The duration of each placement is set at six months, with the possibility of renewal. The overall scheme will run for two years.
Refusing to participate will result in termination of GMI support, the Deputy Minister confirmed.
Expansion of support for 1974 war victims
A second decision involves amending the existing care allowance scheme for former prisoners of war and war victims of 1974 to include individuals who were left disabled as a result of the conflict.
The cabinet also approved a significant increase in institutional care support, raising the allowance from €745 to €1,300 per month. The adjustment aligns the scheme with allowances granted under residential care subsidies for elderly homes.
Through the amendment, the number of beneficiaries eligible for partial or full home-care allowances or institutional care support will increase.
First National Strategy for Early Childhood Education and Care
The government has also adopted Cyprus’ first National Strategy and Action Plan for Early Childhood Education and Care (2025–2030), a joint proposal by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth and the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare.
Hadjistephani-Papaellina said the strategy sets the roadmap for increasing access to affordable, inclusive and high-quality early education and care for all children up to age six. It also promotes policies to help parents balance work and family responsibilities, with a particular focus on supporting women’s participation in the labour market.
The strategy establishes a framework for strengthening the country’s social pillar from the earliest years of a child’s life, laying the foundations for holistic development.
It also foresees the creation of a unified pedagogical framework for public and private childcare settings, to be based on current scientific knowledge and guidelines for children from birth to age six when they enter primary education.
The Deputy Minister added that the adoption of this first national strategy represents a milestone in Cyprus’ Recovery and Resilience Plan and forms a key pillar of the National Action Plan for implementing the EU Child Guarantee for 2022–2030.
Source: CNA