A one-off €200 support payment will be made on 20 November to more than 53,000 beneficiaries of welfare benefits, with no application required. Christos Diomides, spokesperson for the Welfare Benefits Management Service, told Alpha TV’s “Alpha Enimerosi” that a new monthly allowance for financially vulnerable cancer patients is also being finalised.
The €200 cost-of-living payment
The payment, intended to help with the rising cost of living, was approved by the Council of Ministers on 30 September. Its estimated cost is close to €11 million.
According to Mr Diomides, the payment will be made at the same time for all categories of beneficiaries.
Who is eligible
The payment will go to:
- recipients of public assistance
- people with disabilities who receive the mobility allowance from the Department for Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities
- adult beneficiaries of the Minimum Guaranteed Income
- families receiving the low-income pensioners’ allowance
- families receiving child benefit for three or more children
How it will be paid
The amount is €200 per family and is paid once, even if someone falls into more than one category. It will be paid automatically into beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
For couples of low-income pensioners who share the relevant allowance, Mr Diomides said steps are being taken so that the support can be split into two payments of €100. A single low-income pensioner will receive the full €200.
Monthly allowance for vulnerable cancer patients
The new scheme prepared by the service provides €200 a month for financially vulnerable patients in active cancer treatment. Mr Diomides said it will cover all forms of cancer, although the President of the Republic’s original announcement referred to breast cancer.
The scheme has been designed, but it is awaiting final approval by the Council of Ministers, and no start date has been announced. The service estimates that about 1,000 patients could be included, at an annual cost of around €2.5 million.
The support is to be paid during active treatment, for a maximum of 12 months. “Up to twelve months at most, paid during treatment,” Mr Diomides said.
Proposed eligibility criteria
As presented by Mr Diomides, patients would need to be:
- recipients of the Minimum Guaranteed Income or the low-income pensioners’ allowance
- recipients of child benefit with an income of up to €22,000
- recipients of the single-parent family allowance with an income of up to €39,000
Other people with documented particular financial vulnerability could also be considered as an exception. These criteria are subject to the final decision of the Council of Ministers.
How to apply
Applications are planned to be made online through gov.cy, with automatic cross-checking of data and immediate approval for those who meet the criteria. The system will be linked to the country’s four oncology centres to confirm that applicants are in active treatment.
The aim is to cover part of the extra costs of treatment, such as transport, special diets, personal hygiene products and care for dependants. Mr Diomides noted that the service already applies special handling procedures for applications from cancer patients, in cooperation with the Cyprus Anti-Cancer Society.
Changes to disability benefits
On disability benefits, Mr Diomides said the reform removes income criteria and is expected to add more than 12,000 new beneficiaries.
Management of these benefits is being gradually transferred to the Department for Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities. Until the transfer is complete, the Welfare Benefits Management Service is paying the increases and back pay.
New benefit amounts
The increases are:
- Adult disability allowance: from €368 to €405
- Disability allowance for minors: from €368 to €455
- Home care: up 10%
- Transport allowance: from €30 or €50 to €100
- Day care: from €150 to €300
Back pay
Back pay from January 2026 for the disability allowance for minors, and for their home care, has already been paid. For adults, the corresponding back pay is expected in December.
The allowance for buying incontinence pads remains unchanged, as its management is being transferred to the Department for Social Inclusion. Mr Diomides said a few dozen minors who had not been paid will receive their payment next week, with no new application needed.
