The Greek government announced on Friday a total of eleven support measures to help relatives of victims, injured and passengers in the Tempe train collision on February 28.
Among others, the government announced a special pension, in favor of the families whose member or members have died, to write off debts to the Greek state, tax reliefs, employment as civil servant and as well as facilitation in claiming compensations.
11 measures of support for the families of the victims
A special pension is paid to the families of a deceased member or members, as well as to those who may experience a permanent disability of more than 50% due to the accident. The pension, for each deceased person, is distributed to the spouse and children or, in the absence of a spouse and children, is distributed to the parents. The pension is tax-free and is paid retroactively from March 1, regardless of other income or receipt of another pension. The amount of the special pension is determined monthly at four times the national pension, around 1200-1300, and will be adjusted annually, with the increase of the national pension. The responsibility for issuing pensions is assumed by the Directorate of Income Policy of the General Accounting Office of the State.
The outstanding -as of 31/03/2023- individual debts of the relatives (parents, spouses or persons who have entered into a cohabitation agreement, children and siblings) of the deceased, persons who suffered a permanent disability of more than 50% and their relatives , as well as of the persons who were hospitalized in ICU, to the tax authority and the social security funds, are deleted.
In consultation with the banking institutions and loan managers, at their initiative, loan obligations for the families of the victims, which derive from housing or personal loan contracts, regardless of whether these debts are serviced or not, are written off.
The heirs of persons who died as a result of the train accident in Tempe are exempt from inheritance tax.
The right for hiring in the Public Sector is given for a member of the families of the deceased, up to the second degree of consanguinity. Persons who were hospitalized in ICU and/or suffered a permanent disability of more than 50% also have the right to be appointed. In case it is not possible to appoint them, for reasons of health, the right of appointment is transferred to the spouse or the children, or else to one of the parents or one of their siblings.
As far as judicial procedures are concerned, in order to speed up the payment of compensations, legislative care will be taken to facilitate the enforceability of decisions from the first instance. In addition, free legal assistance is provided to victims and their relatives, if they so desire.
All boarding students as well as students who are children, spouses or persons who have entered into a cohabitation agreement, siblings and parents of deceased persons or persons who have suffered a permanent disability of more than 50%, are entitled to transfer during the current calendar year to a corresponding department of another University Educational Institution (HEI).
All the above students are prioritized in terms of housing in the student residences of their educational institutions and they are provided with free meals during their studies.
In the Nationwide Examinations of the years 2023, 2024, 2025 (regular and repeat), arrangements will be applied for additional scoring for those on board as well as for children, spouses or persons who have entered into a cohabitation agreement, siblings and parents of deceased persons or persons who have suffered permanent disability in a percentage of more than 50%.
The costs of hospitalization and rehabilitation of the injured in materials and services are fully covered by the EOPPY, in all public and private sector structures, as well as the costs of going to rehabilitation structures abroad without absolutely any self-participation.
Free personalized psychological support is provided to the families of the victims, the injured and the passengers, at home, through the network of mental health structures of the National Health Service, as well as by telephone through the Free National Psycho-social Support Line 10306, with the special option 3 .
The above measurs are supported by the Ministries of Finance, Education and Religious Affairs, Labor and Social Affairs, Health, Justice and Interior”, the announcement emphasizes and clarifies:
In addition, rescued passengers who purchased tickets – without registering their personal information – and left the site of the accident without leaving information of communication to the State Authorities, are requested to contact the Helpline in order to make use of their rights.
And where is your comment on these ridiculous compensation measures, which only prove that this corrupt and incompetent government tries to wash away the responsibility and guilt for the train disaster and wants to avoid election losses in May. What a charade !!
Compensation, compensation, compensation!! Fire, flood, snow, whatever. But it never gets to the root of the problem, incompetence and above all corruption. Indeed a charade, shame on them all.