Starting on January 1, 2021, what kind of assistance is available to businesses, freelancers, parents, and other people in need?
Self-employed
Freelancers can receive payouts if they had their self-employed status registered for at least three months in a 12-month period before the quarantine (and it wasn't deregistered at the start of the quarantine), and if their earnings did not exceed the minimum wage of 642 euros per month before tax.
The self-employed also need to be included into the government's list of coronavirus-affected individuals and only if the government imposed restrictions on their area of activity.
If they meet these criteria, self-employed workers can receive 257 euros per month for as long as the quarantine is in place and one month after it is lifted.
Unemployed
People that have registered with the Employment Service can receive a job seeker's allowance of 212 euros if they have been out of work for less than three months before the start of the quarantine. Students are not entitled to the payout.
Businesses: payments
Businesses can freeze their payments to the country’s social insurance fund SoDra during the quarantine and for two months after its end.
The government agreed to limit this option only to businesses operating in the areas affected by quarantine restrictions. The firms need to be included in the list of affected companies to be eligible.
The delayed social insurance contributions will have to be paid within a five-year period after the end of quarantine.
Businesses: furloughs
The government will compensante 100 percent of the wage, or up to 963 euros before tax, of furloughed employees.
Businesses can fully or partially furlough their employees if they are not able to provide work in accordance with their contracts. Within one business day, the company must inform the State Labour Inspectorate about furloughed workers.
After having done so, the employers can apply to the Employment Service for the subsidy.
Looking after children
If schools switch to distance learning or are forced to shut due to the coronavirus, parents can receive sickness benefits for looking after a child – as long as the child is in primary school, pre-school, or attends a special needs school.
The benefits make up for 65,94 percent of parents’ gross salary.
Child benefits
All families receive 70 euros per child, while low-income families – where the average monthly income per family member does not exceed 250 euros – or those raising children with disabilities can receive 111 euros per child. The benefit is available until the child is 18 or 21 (if he or she is pursuing education).
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