Cyprus-Forum.com

[Zoran]

Hi! When I was working, a pretty amount on my pay slip was shown to go to "welfare". Last year I was to the welfare office to see if they can offer any services, guide me to a public nursery or kindergarten (one that is free, government owned) or if there are any applications for rent subsidy or any other form of financial help. They basically told me off, saying that there are no public kindergartens in Paralimni that they don't offer any services or advice regarding this matter and there are no means for any kind of financial subsidy. Since then, our situation got better and we need no such assistance, but there is still a big question hanging: what it actually is the welfare offices job and where did the money from my payslip go then?

[Sotos]

They are for pension which you can get after reaching a certain age and after working for a certain amount of years.

[Zoran]

On their page there are loads of thing they are suppose to do. Old age pension isn't paid by the social security?

[Sotos]

I assumed that by "welfare" you meant the social security contributions. If it is not that then they are taxes. To be entitled to welfare you need to meet certain criteria... not everybody who pays taxes is entitled to welfare.

[Zoran]

I understand, but the issue is that they just told me off telling me that they don't do anything else then taking complains for child abuse or neglect. This is not what their page says. I know plenty of people taking all sorts of benefits from them. They also should advise on child education, such as where are the public kindergartens and schools. Also, as I said, I did have loads of money on my payslip going to welfare. I'm not talking about social security here. The two are two different offices.

[Get Real!]

This is not what their page says.

Post the link to this page so people can know what you're talking about.

[Sotos]

telling me that they don't do anything else then taking complains for child abuse or neglect

Maybe you've been to an office specific for that and not "welfare" in general?

I did have loads of money on my payslip going to welfare

As I explained, if you pay taxes, some which are going for welfare, it doesn't mean you are automatically entitled to welfare yourself. In fact if you had "loads of money" going to welfare it means you were making an even greater amount of money for yourself, which is a good indication that probably you are not entitled any welfare.

[Zoran]

This is their page: http://www.mlsi.gov.cy/mlsi/sws/sws.nsf ... enDocument
They have: Services-Family and children section
I wasn't working when I went there and I do not know what criteria I fit or I do not fit as long as they refused to give me any information. I don't think that is their job to look at someone and decide without any questionning if the person is intilted to something or not. Further more I don't believe that there is no public kindergarden anywhre around here. It should be. I went there to see if I can leave my child in a public kindergarten as I had no means for a private one while I would have went to work. I was also asking if I can have some sort of rent subsidy as I have years of taxes paid and I was just going thrue a ruff time. I'm not some lazy ass person, I just was out of work and the social security office made the first unemployement payment after 18 weeks. All this time I had the same bills to pay, so naturally, it was not easy. I was sent from the Social Insurance office to the wellfare office and the wellfare office told me that I should borrow some money from someone. That's an advise I can get at the florist. From a goverment office I expect something more proffesional.

[Get Real!]

Further more I don't believe that there is no public kindergarden anywhre around here....

Here's a list of the kindergartens in your area...

http://www.cyprus.com/results.html/geo_ ... ank&page=2

Henceforth use this government web portal for allowances etc...

http://www.cyprus.gov.cy/portal/portal. ... =0&lang=en

Next!

[Zoran]

That is of great help! Thank You! I saved the page and will check which is the one we belong too.
I can see that there are plenty of kindergartens, so how come they told there is none and I must go to a private one?