Following a series of urgent meetings and intense discussions at the House of Parliament of Cyprus regarding the Guaranteed Minimum Income, the government “succeeded” to finally pass the bill. Everything was so hastily carried-out that, most probably, the vulnerable groups in our society will face more misery and misadventures as a result of the provisions of the bill.
Pensioners, the disabled, the poor and single parents are being asked to get informed on these new measures, to calculate and submit their applications in just a few days. According to the bill, applications will first be pre-authorized and will then be fully considered. If it is finally decided that someone has wrongfully received a benefits payment (s)he will have to repay the money received with interest. Basically, people who are suffering are being forced to become further indebted. The State should support the vulnerable groups of our society. There is no logic behind an attempt to “restart the economy” by pushing people to new misadventures.
Even worse, people with disabilities will be evaluated with regards to whether they are suffering from mild disabilities or not. I, once more, ask: will the State make sure to find work placements for all those judged as suffering from mild forms of disability? The parents of children with hyperactivity, concentration deficit, autism and Down syndrome live with the constant anxiety for the future of their children. Who will care for them, where will they get employed, what will happen to them when their parents die? Have all these issues been considered by the State on issuing the decree regarding the “evaluation” of diseases/ disabilities?
The decision to restrict benefit payments to those living in houses smaller than 150m2 is completely non logical. In order to receive such benefits, someone who lives on his/her own because they lost their partner, or because their kids have left their maiden home will, in addition to these losses, have to sacrifice their homes for the sake of being entitled to become beneficiaries under the Guaranteed Minimum Income scheme. In other words, the government is practically asking people to sell everything they own to be able to live with “dignity”, as they define it of course.
Any applications must be submitted within one month, and the officials of the Ministry are still trying to understand what the Guaranteed Minimum Income is, who qualifies for what, and are, of course, not answering the calls directed to the relevant call centers which are on fire. Whilst in the early stages of passing the bill it seemed as something very useful, it turned out to be a nightmare for everyone: citizens in need and workers in the Ministry. At its core, the bill is, indeed, important and should seek to ensure that the basic rights of everyone will be covered. However, reaching the right decisions takes time and careful and strategic thinking. If the real concern of the State is to support its citizens, it should, then, seek to provide the necessary tools to aid the vulnerable societal groups rather than implementing measures that will only increase their vulnerability.
Alexia Sakadaki