The Parents Benefit Scheme will be reintroduced due to school closures, Minister of Finance and Employment Clyde Caruana and Minister for Social Justice and Solidarity, the Family and Children's Rights Michael Falzon announced.
The scheme was also in place last year.
The discussions began with the intention of helping parents of children under 16 years of age who have been hit by school closures.
The ministries said that the scheme will consist of a benefit which will be paid to families which include children who are under 16 years of age and where both parents work in the private sector, on the condition that one of the said parents must remain at home to look after the child.
The benefit will be paid for the period between 15th March and 11th April, and it could be extended if it is necessary.
The scheme applies for families where both parents are working full-time or part-time in the private sector and where the nature of their work would not render it possible to work from home.
To be eligible for the benefit, one of the parents would have to refrain from going to work between the 15th March and 11th April so that they can take care of their children,
Parents will also be eligible for the full benefit if they are on unpaid leave or if the job they work in is not receiving a wage supplement.
In the case of both parents not being able to work from home, the benefit will be paid to one of the parents.
The scheme consists of the following:
· Those that work full-time will be eligible for a benefit of €166.15 per week, which is €800 gross per month
· Those that work part-time will be eligible for a benefit of €103.85 per week, which is €500 gross per month
In the case of a parent having to temporarily stop from receiving his full wage, that particular circumstance will be analysed in order to see whether the parent’s children’s allowance rate should increase.
The payment of benefits will be through direct debit and applications will be available online.
Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said that some parents “do not have work which allows them to benefit from teleworking”, which is why this measure is being introduced. “It would have been insensitive to have left these people alone.”
Caruana said that there were around 4,500 people that benefitted from this scheme last year, which means that if the same number were to apply, the government would spend around €3.5 million on this scheme.
“I appeal to those employers to remain close to those parents, as once the pandemic passes, the Maltese and Gozitan worker will be there to create wealth in this country.”
Family Minister Michael Falzon said that the scope of this measure was to mitigate the damage the pandemic caused to parents.
This benefit was introduced particularly due to the fact that schools have been closed – a measure which will remain in place till 11th April.
This benefit will also deduct the social security contribution automatically so that it wouldn’t affect their pensions.
“We have also introduced a measure where if a person is receiving a lower wage due to Covid-19, the government shall consider – when he works out this person’s pension – to give him the pension as if he was receiving the wage prior to the pandemic,” Falzon said.