In June, a record 267,370 households benefited from housing allowances

Prague – In June, a record 267,370 households received housing benefits. The average amount of the benefit also increased. In June, it reached 6,134 CZK, leading the state to disburse 1.6 billion CZK. This information is reported by the website lidovky.cz this evening.

The number of housing benefit recipients rose last year as well. In December, employment offices paid out 228,000 of these benefits, which is 48 percent more year-on-year. The average household received 4,777 CZK at that time. Last year, the state spent a total of 8.56 billion CZK on benefits, which is nearly two billion more than the year before.

According to experts, the increase in the number of benefit recipients may be due to high housing costs, dwindling household savings, and greater public awareness of social benefit options. The high number of new applications for housing benefits indicates that awareness of this form of assistance has spread. "We continue to raise awareness about state assistance wherever it makes sense,” said Jakub Augusta, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, to the website.

The ministry aims to focus on a review of the entire social system. The planned changes are expected to include asset tests for applicants. Officials would need to examine whether the recipient owns any other property than the one for which they are applying for housing benefits. There is also consideration for testing savings, which could begin as early as 2025.