Prague, June 8 (CTK) – The Senate, the upper house of Czech parliament, passed a bill that raises welfare benefits to families with children today, increasing the tax relief that parents receive for their first child and the parental benefits paid to parents of twins and triplets.
The bill, an amendment to the law on state social support, is yet to be signed by President Milos Zeman into law. The centre-left government of Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) pushed it through parliament four months before the general election.
In cases of multiple births, the parental benefit will rise from the current 220,000 crowns to 330,000 crowns in total. The amendment also introduces the possibility of drawing parental benefits more quickly. At present, the benefit can be drawn within 19 to 48 months.
Tax relief for the first child will monthly increase by 150 crowns and reach 15,204 crowns a year. The state budget is to lose 2.1 billion crowns a year due to this change.
The bill also extends the types of families that are entitled to receive child benefits.
At present about 400,000 children in the country with a population of 10.5 million are entitled to child benefits.
A monthly child benefit will rise in the families where at least one parent works or has an income of at least the subsistence level by 300 crowns to 800, 910 and 1000 crowns, according to the child’s age.
The amendment also introduces the possibility to draw parental benefits more quickly.
The Senate social committee opposed the idea that families can receive the parental benefit unless their child attends a nursery or kindergarten for more than 46 hours a month. The committee said checking this would be an administrative burden. However, the Senate passed the bill despite the committee’s reservations.
($1=23.459 crowns)
kva/dr/pv
