What is material hardship?

Material hardship is a condition where the income of all household members combined does not exceed the minimum subsistence leveland the household members are unable to increase their income by working, claiming benefits or selling assets.

For the current minimum subsistence level, see Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family. This minimum subsistence level should cover one hot meal a day, shelter and essential clothing.

Who helps families in material need?

Material hardship benefits are primarily provided by the state through the Labour, Social Affairs and Family Office, and in some cases by the municipality where you live (one-off benefits). See below for a list of the benefits provided and the conditions for receiving them:

Forms of assistance in material need

Material hardship benefit

The material hardship allowance is paid to families or pensioners whose income is below the minimum subsistence level and who are unable to improve their situation.

When am I entitled to the material hardship allowance?

A household whose combined income of all adult members together does not exceed the minimum subsistence level is entitled to the benefit.

You can see the current amount of the minimum subsistence level on the website of the Office of Social Security

Household members who:

• can work, but do not work or do community service for at least 32 hours a month,
• are employed but do not work at least 32 hours a month,
• are required to participate in community service but do not work at least 32 hours in a given month.

However, these conditions do not apply to:

• People of retirement age, or early retirees
• Dependent children
• Pregnant women from the 8th week before delivery
• Carers of disabled people
• Persons in resocialisation programmes
• People on full-time study
• Persons with health problems lasting more than 30 days, or persons with disabilities
• Parents caring for children up to three years of age, lone parents caring for children up to six years of age
• Persons developing work skills, performing municipal services

How much will I receive as a material hardship allowance?

You can find the amount of the material hardship allowance for the current year on the website of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family.

The material hardship allowance is reduced by a certain amount for each household member who is not entitled to the material hardship allowance (see above). It is also reduced for failure to comply with a medical treatment regime or to submit a certificate of incapacity for work within three working days.

Protective allowance

The protection allowance helps cover the personal expenses of a household member who cannot earn their own income or increase their income.

When am I entitled to a protection allowance?

The protection allowance shall be paid to people in material needif:

• have reached the age required to qualify for an old-age pension,
• receive an early retirement pension,
• are disabled due to a reduction in earning capacity of more than 70 %,
• the woman is pregnant, from the beginning of the eighth week before the expected date of delivery, as determined by the doctor,
• are a single parent who personally, fully and properly cares for the child until the child is one year old,
• are the carer of a person with a severe disability who is dependent on care; this also applies to the time during which the person is provided with a respite service under the Social Services Act,
• participate in resocialisation programmes in a residential resocialisation centre, in which they cannot earn an income through their own work,
• have an adverse medical condition (illness, accident or quarantine measure for which they are temporarily unfit for work for more than 30 days),
• are severely disabled and are dependent on personal assistance or care or social services in an institution for natural persons who are dependent on the help of another natural person or home care.

How much will I receive as a protection allowance?

The amount of the protection allowance for the current year can be found on the website of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family.

Housing allowance

Housing benefit helps cover the cost of housing for people in material need.

When am I entitled to housing benefit?

You are entitled to the allowance if your household is in material hardship, and at the same time:

• a member of the household is the owner or co-owner of an apartment or family house used by the household for living purposes,
• a member of the household is a tenant of an apartment, family house or living room in a permanent housing facility used by the household for living purposes,
• the household resides in a supported housing facility, a facility for the elderly, a social services home or a specialised facility, if the social service is provided to an adult natural person in a year-round residential form
• the household lives in a shelter, halfway house, emergency housing or crisis centre
• or the household lives in an apartment or family house on the basis of a right of usufruct for life of the property (no proof of housing costs is required).

The conditions for entitlement to housing benefit are reviewed every 12 months. If you continue to meet them, you will continue to get the allowance for the next few years.

Housing benefit is paid for the property and not for the household occupying it – if several households share a property, they receive only one allowance.

How much housing benefit will I get?

The amount of housing benefit for the current year can be found on the website of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family.

One-off material hardship allowance

If you receive material hardship assistance, you are entitled to a one-off benefit for certain expenses, which can help you buy essential items such as clothes, household furnishings and so on.

When am I entitled to a one-off material hardship allowance?

To get the one-off material hardship benefit, you must be a member of a household receiving material hardship benefit.

The municipality decides on the grantin which the household members reside.

You can use the one-off material hardship allowance to buy:

• necessary clothing,
• footwear,
• essential household equipment (bed, table, chair, fridge, stove, cooker, heater, fuel, washing machine, duvet, bed linen, kitchen utensils),
• extraordinary medical expenses,
• school supplies.

How much will I receive in a lump sum?

Your municipality will decide on the amount of the contribution on the basis of the application. The maximum amount of the contribution is three times subsistence minima.

The allowance shall be paid on the basis of proven costs (block). If you claim more than one allowance in one year, the total amount must not exceed three times the minimum subsistence amount.

Activation allowance

This allowance is designed to help you acquire, maintain and deepen the knowledge and practical skills that will help you better enter the labour market.

When am I entitled to the activation allowance?

The activation allowance belongs to a household member in material need who:

• He is registered at the employment office and is studying for a lower secondary education,
• He or she has not obtained a second-level higher education qualification and is a secondary school pupil studying part-time or a university student studying part-time,
• Participates in education and training for the labour market, retraining or in projects and programmes under the Employment Services Act for at least 32 hours over 30 days,
• He or she is of legal age and performs activation activities in the form of small-scale services for the municipality or VUC,
• It carries out voluntary military training in accordance with the Voluntary Military Training Act.

You are not entitled to the activation allowanceif you are registered as a jobseeker and receive a graduate traineeship allowance, or if you meet the conditions for entitlement to a protection allowance.

The activation allowance can be received for a maximum of 18 months on account of the performance of minor municipal services.

How much activation allowance will I receive?

To find out the current amount of the activation allowance, go to the website of the Office for Employment and Social Affairs.

Dependent child allowance

A family in material need is entitled to an allowance for each child who is in full compliance with compulsory school attendance.

When am I entitled to dependent child allowance?

The dependent child allowance belongs to every family in material need whose children have not yet completed compulsory schooling.

Warning, you will lose your allowance if:

• You will not take care of the child’s compulsory school attendance and, for this reason, a special recipient of child benefit will be appointed,
• You or your child has been subjected to an educational measure and the educational measure is not fulfilling the purpose for which it was imposed.

How much dependent child allowance will I receive?

To find out the current amount of the allowance, go to the website of the Office for Employment and Social Affairs.