The cut-off proposed by the PCP and the Left Bloc and approved during the 2018 State Budget, is going to cost state coffers around €40 million, the ministry said. It is going to be applied to guarantee that no one receives a benefit lower than the Social Support Index which is €431.32. At the time the decision affected 58% of beneficiaries.

The payment of the unemployment allowance for January is going to be made without the 10% cut, the same source added.

The 10% cut, applied after six months of receiving unemployment benefits, was introduced by the former government, in the ‘troika’ time. The average dole payment was €462.05 in October, a 1% decrease compared to the same month last year and a reduction of 0.6% in the previous month.