Prague, Jan 6 (CTK) – The latest version of the Czech family policy, drafted by the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry, wants to raise the parental allowance from 220,000 to at least 250,000 crowns, to increase the maternal allowance and to double child benefits.
It also wants loans for new marital couples, start-up flats, artificial insemination of lone women, the three-month treatment allowance for the care for infirm parents and support for shared jobs.
The measures are to cost 20 to 30 billion crowns a year.
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) said in mid-December that he would soon unveil a new support for the “working families with children.”
Sobotka is of the view that many families are not entitled to the current benefits and tax reliefs.
The government assigned the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry to draft the family policy concept two years ago.
It summarises the recommendations of an expert commission that is comprised of demographers, sociologists and economists.
Its authors say the family is changing. It is composed of individuals, childless couples, marital couples, consensual unions, registered partnerships with children and lone parents with their descendants.
Czechs are not much interested in a legal marriage, the childbearing age is rising and the divorce rate is high.
The birth rate is falling and society is ageing.
According to the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry, the state should ensure the conditions in which people would want to have children.
Under the concept, the parental allowance is to be increased from the current 220,000 crowns to at least 250,000 crowns.
The authors of the concept say it replaces the income to the parent who stays with the baby out of work. It constitutes the most expensive family benefit, but it may best protect the families of small children from poverty. Thanks to its rise, expenditures on other benefits may be decreased, the ministry said.
Thanks to the higher sum, more males may be interested in the option. The costs are enumerated at three billion crowns.
Women on maternity leave are to receive 75 percent of their basic income instead of the current 70 percent. This would cost more than 778 million crowns.
The birth benefit is to be paid for each child. Annually, this would cost roughly 1.7 billion more than now.
Child benefits are to be doubled. Depending on the child’s age, instead of the current 500, 610 and 700 crowns, the benefits are to be 1000, 1200 and 1500 crowns. The costs would be 11.1 billion crowns.
Instead of the tax relief for the husband or wife, a new tax relief for those caring may be introduced or tax relief for a child may be increased.
The Labour and Social Affairs Ministry says that one half of children are born out of the wedlock, while lone parents or people with low incomes cannot use the relief. Almost one-quarter of marital couples who apply for the relief do not have any descendants.
The concept also changes the rules of artificial insemination. The age at the payment of the medical help from health insurance is to be raised from 38 to 43 years.
Single mothers are newly not to need the partner’s consent for artificial insemination. On the other hand, married women are to need the consent of their husband.
The draft suggests social housing as well as subsidies for the construction of small flats for young families and the elderly.
The newly wed are to receive low-interest loans of up to 300,000 crowns. They are to repay them during up to 15 years and the interests are to decrease along with the number of new-born children.
The proposals include the support for shared and flexible jobs, the school clubs for all lower grade schoolchildren and the three-month treatment allowance for the care for infirm parents.
