Greece: Support measures announced for relatives of Tempe victims

The immediate relatives of people killed in the Tempe railway disaster will receive a special pension, as part of a package of measures announced by the government on Friday.

In a joint press release, the ministries of Finance, Education, Labor and Social Affairs, Health, Justice and the Interior said it was the “minimum duty of the state, in these circumstances, … to relieve and support, with modesty and respect, the relatives of the victims and the injured of the tragic train accident at Tempe.”

The special pension will be paid to the spouse and children of the deceased or, in the absence of a spouse and children, to the parents of the deceased. The tax-free allowance will be paid retroactively from March 1, regardless of other income or pension being received by the beneficiary. The special pension will amount to four times the national pension.

In addition, all tax and social insurance debts of the immediate relatives of the deceased (parents, spouses or children), as well as those of people left with a 50% disability as a result of the disaster, are being written off.

Banking and mortgage debts will also be written off for the same group of people, in consultation with banking institutions.

Inheritance tax will not be applied to beneficiaries of those who died.

Family members of those who died will also have the right to be appointed to a public-sector position, as will those left with a 50% disability or their families.

Measures will also be taken to provide families with free legal aid and to speed up related processes in the courts.

Student family members of the deceased will be allowed to transfer to other third-level institutions and will be given priority in obtaining accommodation in student halls of residence.

School-going dependents will receive bonus points in university matriculation exams in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

All health costs incurred as a result of the rail collision will be covered by the public insurance fund and psychological will also be made available to families.

Source: ekathimerini.com