Child benefit changes would extend eligibility to 2,000 more families

Nicosia, Cyprus. Proposed revisions to child benefit means-testing would extend eligibility to more families and increase payments by 5 to 10 per cent, Deputy Minister for Social Welfare Tina Pavlou said on Tuesday. She said an additional 2,000 families, including 2,800 children, would benefit.

Broader eligibility and higher payments

Pavlou welcomed the bill’s tabling as “a great day” and expressed pride in the revised legislation. She said the proposal would relax the income criteria used to determine whether families qualify.

Under the changes, a small rise in a family’s income would no longer lead to the complete withdrawal of child benefit, as had previously happened, she explained.

Responding to journalists’ questions, Pavlou said payment amounts would depend on the category assigned to each family. She put the total cost to the government at €12.5 million.

Family support rather than birth-rate policy

Asked whether the proposal formed part of efforts to address low birth rates, Pavlou said it did not.

She said EU studies had found that benefit policies had not affected demographic trends. Canada and Norway, she added, had instead found that free education and counselling for parents helped increase birth rates.

Pavlou said the government nevertheless remained committed to helping families with children.