Unemployment Benefits Rise Coming – Who Will Get Prepaid Cards and ‘Rewards’?

The imminent change in its structure is now a matter of a few weeks. unemployment benefit Which will be increased in the first quarter to approach the real salary level of the newly unemployed to give them room to adapt.

But despite the increase in the amount, the new design stipulates that only 50% of the allocation will be made by depositing money into the beneficiary’s bank account, with half of the amount being given via a prepaid card.

Meanwhile, among the changes that the Ministry of Labor seems to have come up with is the payment of a “bonus” amount to unemployed youth who have been working for many consecutive years.

Basic “rise” scenario

The new plan envisions that the benefit will be higher during the first two to four months of provision, so that the drop in income is not too sharp, as the benefit currently stands at 55% of the basic daily wage.

Years of work, grades and contributions are some of the criteria that will judge which unemployed young people will be entitled to the highest benefits, but also the exact amount.

This means that it is expected that “scales” will be created in the allowance, which is currently the same for all unemployed people regardless of the years of work and contributions they have paid.

It is worth noting that some of the points that have been discussed, but not yet finalized, are the possibility of changing the criteria for the minimum working days required for the recurrence of the allowance by seasonal workers, as well as – linking the increased allowance to the training of the unemployed.

• Who will get the “reward”?

The ministry’s plan also includes a “bonus” allowance for the unemployed who have worked for many consecutive years, which will be linked to years of service and last salary.

But it remains to be seen how much additional compensation will be and whether it will be given all at once or during unemployment benefits.

• How will prepaid cards work?

New payment method unemployment benefit The other social benefits that a prepaid card offers are already advertised and taken for granted.

Specifically, unemployment benefits and other social benefits will be paid 50% via a prepaid card, which beneficiaries can use for purchases, and 50% via deposit into an account that allows cash withdrawals.

The benefits to be included will be unemployment benefits from DYPA, child and maternity benefits and financial support for foster care, as well as a guaranteed minimum income from OPCA.

Autumn Demo App

According to the Ministry of Labor’s planning, the enhanced changes in the way unemployment benefits are calculated will begin to be reflected from the beginning of 2025.

While in the fall the legislative process and the first pilot application are put in place.

It is worth noting that the changes are expected to apply only to those who will become beneficiaries after the implementation of the new framework, which will stipulate linking the allowance to the salary amount.

This means that the approximately 82,000 unemployed people supported today will see no change in the benefits they receive.

It should be noted that in order to modify unemployment benefits, at pilot level, the DYPA programme has secured resources of more than 100 million euros through the Recovery and Resilience Fund, which is expected to bring about radical changes when implemented.