In legislation regarding the protection financial assistance granted to students with hearing problems for the provision of hearing aids is being immediately implemented by the Ministry National Economy and Finance.
According to an Alpha report, the mother of a student with hearing problems did not apply for the financial aid her child is entitled to from the Ministry of Education’s budget, fearing that, due to the family’s tax debts, the funds could be seized.
The Minister of National Economy and Finance, Kyriakos Pierrakakis and the Governor of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), George Pitsilis, having been informed of the matter, immediately initiated a legislative solution.
A provision included in a bill currently being submitted by the Ministry of National Economy and Finance it is explicitly established that the amounts paid by the Ministry of Education for this purpose are non-assignable, unseizable, and may not be frozen or offset against debts owed to the State, social security agencies, first- and second-level local authorities, or financial institutions of any kind.
In this way it is ensured that this specific benefit will reach its final destination in full: the students who need it and their families.
In a statement, Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis said:
“No child should be deprived of a benefit established to meet their needs. And no parent should fear that a benefit intended for their child will never reach them.
For this reason, in collaboration with the Governor of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), Giorgos Pitsilis, we are immediately moving forward with legislation to ensure that the amount for this specific benefit from the Ministry of Education is non-assignable, unseizable and not offset against debts owed to the State, social security funds, local authorities, or financial institutions.
The state must listen when citizens highlight an injustice and intervene immediately to correct it. That is what we are doing today. Because supporting children and their families is a matter of justice.
Until now, there has been a legal loophole. While similar OPEKA subsidies are exempt from seizure and EOPYY benefits are paid directly to suppliers, this specific subsidy from the Ministry of Education for the provision of hearing aids did not have equivalent protection. With the proposed legislation, this injustice is being rectified..
