Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis published a video online setting out a detailed timetable of social support measures the government plans to roll out between now and December 2027, covering everything from rent refunds for public sector workers to cuts in electricity charges and income tax.
According to Marinakis, the first measure lands on September 25, 2026, when doctors, nurses and teachers will receive a retroactive extra rent payment as a refund covering 2024. From November 1, farmers will begin receiving a refund of the special consumption tax paid at the pump under a new system.
Payments before the end of 2026
On November 30, 2026, doctors, nurses and teachers are due to receive a rent refund and a double rent refund covering the 2025 tax year, Marinakis said. The same day, all pensioners over 65, regardless of income, along with uninsured elderly people and citizens with disabilities, will receive a 400 euro benefit, which the spokesperson said is paid every year. Increased January pensions will also be paid out before the end of 2026.
Tax relief from January 2027
From the first day of January 2027, income tax will be zeroed out on earnings up to 20,000 euros for households with three children, Marinakis said. The government is also setting up a savings scheme, described as a piggy bank, for newborns and children up to two years old.
Farmers will see their tax zeroed on income up to 20,000 euros, while businesses in Greece's regions and in Thessaloniki will no longer have to pay the trade fee, known as the telos epitideumatos, on their tax returns for the new year.
Housing programme and lower utility bills
A new housing scheme called "My Home 3," worth 2 billion euros, is also due to start, according to Marinakis. The programme is part of a series of state-backed home ownership schemes Greece has run in recent years to help first-time buyers, particularly younger people, get onto the property ladder.
The government also plans to index disability benefits to inflation and cut public utility charges. Marinakis said electricity charges for all household supplies would fall from 6.9 euros per megawatt-hour to 3.45 euros per megawatt-hour from March 2027.
Self-employed professionals with a consistent tax record will be exempt from surcharges tied to turnover and payroll under Greece's presumptive taxation system, known as the tekmirio, and will benefit from an income tax reduction approved in the previous budget, applying to 2026 income, Marinakis said.
Wage increases and year-end bonuses
On April 1, 2027, an increase to the private sector minimum wage is due to return, with a matching horizontal increase for public employees, according to the spokesperson. Insurance contributions for private sector workers will be cut by half a percentage point.
On November 30, 2027, the rent refund, double rent refund and the 400 euro benefit for pensioners, uninsured elderly people and people with disabilities will be paid again. At the end of December 2027, public employees are due to receive a Christmas bonus of 500 euros gross, Marinakis said.
Marinakis said that as the country's economy strengthens, the government would keep increasing what he called social returns for citizens, aiming to reduce the effects of high prices and raise incomes across the board.
