Greek Minister of Social Cohesion and Family Domna Michailidou has announced the nationwide opening of applications for the Personal Assistant for Persons with Disabilities program.
Speaking in an interview on Greek television network ANT1, Michailidou confirmed that the online portal prosopikosvoithos.gov.gr opened on Wednesday, 26 August for new applications from across the country, establishing the initiative as a permanent national institution.
The Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family is responsible for managing Greek welfare policies, family support initiatives, and housing schemes. The central digital portal prosopikosvoithos.gov.gr forms part of Greece's broader e-government infrastructure for administrative services.
Michailidou said that the Personal Assistant scheme represents a new chapter in social policy by moving beyond basic financial aid. She emphasized that the initiative enables individuals with disabilities to leave their homes, study, work, travel, and independently manage their daily lives following the success of its initial pilot phase.
The minister highlighted evaluation data from a study conducted by the University of Piraeus regarding the pilot implementation. In the study, 97 percent of beneficiaries reported improvements in daily functionality, 94 percent cited an enhancement in overall quality of life, and 88 percent noted a stronger sense of independence.
Financial allowances and program eligibility
Under the permanent program, monthly personal assistance funding reaches up to 1,939 euros depending on the specific needs of each beneficiary. To qualify for the support, applicants must have a documented disability rating of at least 67 percent.
Beneficiaries are permitted to select up to four Personal Assistants to structure support hours around their personal schedules. The submission procedure has been designed to remain digital and accessible.
The program establishes income thresholds based on household structure. Eligibility begins at 35,000 euros for single-person households, rises to 52,500 euros for couples, and reaches 70,000 euros for families with two children.
Applications for new beneficiaries can be submitted through 27 November 2026. The order in which applications are received will not affect candidate scoring or assessment ratings.
Regional provisions and caregiver pay
The scheme includes specific measures for areas with lower caregiver availability. In mountainous and island municipalities with populations of up to 5,000 residents, family members are permitted to act as official Personal Assistants.
Personal Assistants receive tiered hourly compensation capped at 7 euros. Michailidou noted that the government raised pay rates in recognition of the demanding nature of caregiving, stating that the work requires genuine dedication to helping others.
Greece currently has more than 2,000 active Personal Assistants, but their distribution across different regions remains unbalanced. Michailidou called for more workers to enroll in the official Registry so that care needs can be met in every part of the country.
Housing initiatives and demographic goals
Michailidou linked government housing schemes directly to national efforts to address demographic challenges. She stated that demographic policy is a complex puzzle in which housing serves as an essential piece.
Regarding the Housing Renovation initiative, the minister noted an upcoming deadline of 31 August for vacant property owners to secure a Certificate of Eligibility. More than 10,000 eligibility certificates have been issued for vacant residences to enable renovation and re-entry into the housing market.
Applications for owner-occupied property renovations have exceeded 80,000. The scheme covers up to 95 percent of eligible costs, providing up to 300 euros per square meter and up to 36,000 euros per home, with income limits increasing by 5,000 euros for each child.
Updating results for youth housing support, Michailidou reported that approvals under the My Home II scheme have reached approximately 15,000. Combined figures for My Home I and My Home II indicate that around 25,000 young individuals and families have acquired their first homes.
Michailidou also presented metrics for the Neighborhood Nannies program, which currently encompasses about 6,500 beneficiaries and 3,500 caregivers. Nearly 2,000 care agreements have been signed between families and caregivers, and the minister invited additional candidates to join the Caregivers Registry.
