Thanks to the 'generosity' of their European overlords, the Greek government has been allowed to offer its long-suffering people a so-called "social dividend". As KeepTalkingGreece explains [4], the one time paid allowance between €500 and €1,000 funded with money from the primary surplus of 2013, is designed to be for the poor; but over 900 applicants with assets over €500,000 applied for the handout and several dozen with assets over €2,500,000 had the balls to apply. As he concludes, "can’t help but wonder whether we are indeed a society in such a moral decline."
More than 450,000 people have submitted requests to receive the so-called “social dividend” a one time paid allowance between €500 and €1,000 for the poor, funded with money from the primary surplus of 2013. However, among the really needy, were also several dozens of Greeks with assets and properties worth even €2,500,000.
“900 applicants had assets of more than €500,000 and yet they applied for the social dividend,” Greek media reported on Thursday.
In the exclusive story of daily TA NEA, several examples of the bold Greeks who applied for the allowance were:
- A couple from Evia with real estate worth €2.3 million, family annual €102,000 euros and residence of 230 sq.m.
- A five-member family from Kalithea in Athens, with annual income €110,000, real estate worth €540,000, a car of 3500 cc and €50,000 from deposits interest.
- A family of four from Paleo Faliro in Athens with real estate worth €2.7 million and annual income €90,000.
- Among the other exemplary applicants is a family with a swimming pool, a family with a 10-meter-long boat.
Applications for the social dividend are done electronically, the strict criteria refer to annual income up to 9,000 euro.
According to unverified information, the application is approved or rejected within minutes as the electronic system has immediate access to the taxation date of the applicant.
I could hardly believe my eyes this morning when I read the story. I thought of cases of families with a home of their own and no other income but one salary that can hardly covers the monthly expenses. I thought of families with less than 12,000 euro income and two properties who are unable to sell one of them because nobody buys it. I thought of this elderly woman with land properties in God-knows-where-land and a home of her won who can hardly pay her electricity bill. And yet, according to the deemed income taxation system they are not eligible to apply for the social dividend.
And here come some people with nerve and try to grab a 500-euro allowance from the really poor.
? can’t help but wonder whether we are indeed a society in such a moral decline.