ATHENS – The first payments will be made to the beneficiaries of the heating allowance by December 21, according to the Joint Ministerial Decision published late on Thursday.

In the first phase, those who were also beneficiaries last year will receive the allowance and will submit the relevant application on the online platform MyHeating, which will open in the next few days, until December 9. Payments, according to the ministerial decision, will be made in three phases.

The amount of the subsidy will range from 100 to 80 euros, while the criteria are increased compared to last year (income and assets) and it is estimated that 1.3 million households are potentially beneficiaries, while the total amount of the subsidy together with the amount given at the pump is at 500 million euros.

At the same time, it should be noted that those who live in the coldest areas, i.e. with degree days above 1, will receive an allowance increased by 25%, provided that it is not higher than 1,000 euros.