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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-06-08
CONTENTS
[01] Independent analysts DiaNEOsis propose 2.7-billion-euro package
against poverty
[01] Independent analysts DiaNEOsis propose 2.7-billion-euro package
against poverty
With an analysis presented on its website on Wednesday, the independent,
non-profit research and analysis organisation DiaNEOsis proposed a
series of measures for fighting extreme poverty in Greece, with an
estimated total cost of 2.7 billion euros.
Its proposals include increasing those receiving regular unemployment
benefit, higher child support benefits and extending a minimum guaranteed
income throughout the country - measures that it calculates will reduce
the percentage of the very poor by 37 pct, lift 600,000 out of extreme
poverty and reducing the "poverty gap" for those under the poverty line
by 55 pct.
According to the findings of the DiaNEOsis survey, 95 pct of Greek
residents state that they "get by with difficulty". It calculates
the income-level of a householdin extreme poverty as ranging from 182
euros a month for a single person living in their own home in a rural
or semi-rural area to 905 euros a month for a couple with two children
living in Athens and paying rent or a mortgage.
On this basis, the percentage of those living in extreme poverty in
Greece during 2015 was at 15 pct, up from 8.9 pct in 2011 and 2.2 pct in
2009. Young people were hardest hit, according to the survey, with the
percentage of children living in extreme poverty at 17.6 pct and for young
people aged 18-29 at 24.4 pct. For pensioners and those aged over 65,
by contrast, only 2.7 pct had an income below the extreme poverty level.
Families with children were also more vulnerable, as were families living
in rented accommodation or with a mortgage.
Specifically, DiaNEOsis proposed extending the period for which people
get unemployment benefit, currently received by only 9.5 pct of jobless,
to cover up to 40 pct of those out of work, increasing the child support
benefit from 40 euros per child to 60 euros per child and extending the
minimum guaranteed income to all areas of the country with small but
crucial changes in its design.
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