The Ministry of National Economy and Finance is the Ministry of National Economy and Finance is moving forward immediately.
The intervention comes following a recent report by Alpha TV, according to which the mother of a student with hearing impairments did not apply for the financial assistance 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.
After being informed of the situation, Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis and AADE Administrator Giorgos Pitsilis immediately initiated a legislative solution. A provision included in a bill currently being drafted by the Ministry of National Economy and Finance explicitly states that the amounts paid by the Ministry of Education for this purpose are inalienable, unseizable, and may not be frozen or offset against debts owed to the State, social security agencies, first- and second-tier local authorities, or financial institutions of any kind. This ensures that this specific benefit will reach its final destination in full: the students who need it and their families.
In a statement to Alpha TV, Mr. Pierrakakis said: “No child should be deprived of a benefit established to meet their needs. And no parent should fear that a subsidy intended for their child will never reach them.
For this reason, in collaboration with AADE Administrator George Pitsilis, we are immediately moving forward with legislation to ensure that the amount for this specific benefit from the Ministry of Education is non-transferable, unseizable, and cannot be offset against debts owed to the State, social security funds, local authorities, or financial institutions.
The state must listen when citizens point out 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 regulatory gap. 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 legislative measure being promoted, this injustice is being rectified.
*What the provision includes*
The provision of the relevant article included in the draft law “Measures to address the energy crisis and boost citizens’ disposable income, wage and tax provisions, regulations for the out-of-court debt settlement mechanism, public sector pension regulations, regulations for the Gaming Supervision and Control Commission and improvement of the gaming framework, provisions regarding the Public Real Estate Company S.A. and other provisions,” is as follows:
“Amounts paid in accordance with subparagraph (l) of paragraph 6 of Article 34 of Law 3699/2008 (B’ 199/2008), following the issuance of the relevant joint ministerial decision, are inalienable and unattachable in the hands of the State or third parties, notwithstanding any specific or general provision, and may not be pledged or offset against confirmed debts owed to the State, social security agencies, first- and second-level local authorities, or financial institutions of any kind.”
