Greeks most hammered by not being able to work during the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic will start getting government handouts of 800 euros ($863.72) beginning April 10, an emergency stipend.
That will be available for people out of work either because their employers were forced to shut down their business by the government or because their contracts have been suspended by enterprises hurt by the crisis, said Kathimerini.
By April 3, the Labor Ministry’s databases saw 460,000 businesses applying for benefits for workers they can’t pay while they’re required to stay closed, affecting 720,211 employees, while another 130,000 workers filed for the stipend on supportemployees.yeka.gr.
Labor Minister Yiannis Vroutsis told SKAI TV the first ranks of workers who will be getting checks are those forced to stay home during a countrywide lockdown that allows only essential businesses to stay open such as pharmacies, repair shops, opticians and others offering supplies or critical services.
he others, working for companies that are still open but have sustained severe losses, will receive the benefit by the end of the month.
“Enterprises can apply until April 20, which is the deadline for harmed businesses, meaning that their employees could get the handout in May from the second category. Employees in the first category will all get their money in April,” Vroutsis said.
He added that if the crisis drags on, “the time frame for the benefit will be expanded to May as well,” although the scope of the damage to the economy is seen bringing a recession as much as 3-4 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP.)
That’s a sharp downturn from what had been predicted to be 2 percent growth with a slow recovery from a nearly decade-long economic and austerity crisis seen accelerating before COVID-19 hit, its effect putting on hold any hopes of restoring benefits lost during austerity with the New Democracy government struggling to cope.
Six scientific categories (economists and accountants, medical doctors, lawyers and notaries, education professionals, researchers, and freelance scientists) who are entitled to a 600-euro ($647.79) allowance for training programs will also be able to apply for the 800-euro emergency stipend.
Some of the country’s leading artists, including famous composer Mikis Theodorakis, urged the government to extend the emergency stipend to musicians, artists and others like them who aren’t allowed to work during the lockdown.
Vroutsis on April 3 also launched the public invitation for the special training program for scientists hurt by the epidemic and said that 400 euros ($431.86) of the subsidy will be paid to 180,390 scientists as of April 14 and the remaining 200 euros ($215.93) after completion of a training program that’s required.
Read more at thenationalherald.com
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