Opposition parties criticise the government’s family benefit schemes

Politicians of three opposition parties criticised the allied ruling Fidesz and Christian Democrat (KDNP) parties over their family and child support schemes as unfair, calling it their task “to protect our children from them”, on Friday.

Representing the Socialists, the Democratic Coalition (DK) and Momentum, they said at an online press conference that the Fidesz-KDNP government had introduced schemes that provide a broader circle of benefits to families with a larger income than to those earning less.

Imre Komjáthi, a deputy leader of the Socialists, said those schemes provide greater support to “the privileged” while give a single parent raising children practically no benefits at all.

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He said the opposition alliance, if elected into power on April 3, will introduce a scheme granting a broadest possible circle of tax benefits to those raising children alone and will set up a stand-alone ombudsman office for child and youth protection.

Anett Bősz, DK’s deputy group leader, called it “a lie” that, if winning the election, the opposition would scrap family tax benefits. She, however, outlined plans to redesign the family protection system and revisit the operation of institutions supporting poor families.

Anikó Paróczai, a district councillor of Momentum, highlighted disparity in Fidesz’s family support schemes, noting that “if every family were equally important for Fidesz, the family allowance would not be 12,200 forints (EUR 34) today”. She pledged a fairer distribution of central support and “a more inclusive family policy”.

Source: MTI