Independent analysts propose 2.7-billion-euro package against poverty

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.