The main plan of changes to the heating oil benefit includes stricter income and asset criteria, along with a reduction in the subsidy paid towards the purchase of heating oil.
The Ministry of Finances’ plan, which is revealed by To Vima, abolishes the 25% advance payment of the benefit and reduces the subsidy from 35 to 25 cents per liter of heating oil. The income criteria are also stricter:
Family status | 2015/16 | 2014/15 |
Single | €12,000 | €30,000 |
Married / No children | €20,000 | €40,000 |
Married / One child | €22,000 | €43,000 |
Married / Two children | €24,000 | €46,000 |
Married / Three+ children | €26,000 | €49,000 |
Single-parent families | €22,000 | €43,000 |
The new plan also sees the stricter asset criteria introduced, with the threshold for unmarried beneficiaries being 100,000 euros (down from 200,000), while for married couples it will be 150,000 euros (from 300,000 euros). Changes are also being planned for the four zones in Greece where the benefit is available:
Zone | Max. subsidized liters | Maximum benefit |
A (Grevena, Kozani, Kastoria, Florina, Drama, Evrytania | 3,000 (25lt per m²) | €1,050 |
B (Ioannina, Larissa, Karditsa, Trikala, Arcadia, Pieria, Imathia, Pella, Thessaloniki, Kilkis, Halkidiki, Serres, Kavala, Xanthe, Rodopi, Evros | 1,800 (15lt per m²) | €630 |
C (Attica, Corinth, Ilia, Achaia, Aetoloakarnania, Fthiotida, Fokida, Viotia, Evia, Magnisia, Mytilene, Chios, Kerkyra, Lefkada, Thesprotia, Preveza, Arta) | 960 (8 lt per m²) | €336 |
D (Crete, Kyklades, Dodecanese, Samos, Messinia, Laconia, Argolida, Zakynthos, Kefalonia, Kythira, Saronic islands) | 600 (5lt per m²) | €210 |
