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Türkiye introduces new regulations to support low-income citizens

Posted on by darion

To strengthen the social safety net, the Turkish government is consolidating existing social assistance programmes into one unified system.

The new order aims to provide additional support, such as rent and food assistance, to retirees, minimum wage earners and people on low incomes.

Clear criteria for social assistance

The Ministry of Family and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance will cooperate to finalize the criteria for social assistance.

These criteria will be strict and non-negotiable and will cover various aspects such as household income and property ownership. These efforts aim to prevent practices that make it more difficult for those who actually need help to receive help.

In doing so, it will eliminate broad policies such as providing 25 cubic meters of free natural gas to all citizens regardless of income level, ensuring equity in social assistance and strengthening the concept of the welfare state.

Additional support measures

Pensioners, minimum wage earners and people on low incomes will receive additional support, including:

  • Rental assistance
  • Food aid
  • Childcare support
  • Tax cuts for families with children

Improving aid distribution

AK Party sources stressed the need for a unified approach to distributing aid, noting that some people receive aid simultaneously from municipalities, NGOs and different ministries.

The ruling party emphasized that increasing the minimum wage could only increase prosperity to a certain extent, and its loss would be compensated by social assistance. Citizens will feel the state’s presence through initiatives such as tax cuts after the third child and lower interest rates on loans for these families.

Affordable housing for low-income citizens

The government is also taking steps to provide affordable housing for low-income citizens. New financial models will be developed to improve access to housing, and this initiative will be led by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance and TOKI.