This chapter describes the benefits in the Czech Republic for securing the basic needs of those living with insufficient income. The intention is to maintain a minimum standard of living, prevent the social exclusion of low-income residents and motivate them to actively strive to secure the resources for their living requirements.

We will explain how the following works:

• living allowance (příspěvek na živobytí);
• housing supplement (doplatek na bydlení);
• extraordinary immediate assistance (mimořádná okamžitá pomoc).

In what situation can I claim?

Assistance in material need (pomoc v hmotné nouzi) serves low-income individuals and families. Eligible applicants are persons with insufficient income who are objectively unable to improve their situation through their own efforts.

The intention is to secure basic needs for these persons at a level that society considers acceptable. The living minimum (Životní minimum) and subsistence minimum (Existenční minimum) exist for the purposes of defining this level.

Assistance in material need helps applicants cover the costs of living, i.e. food, clothing and other basic needs. Assistance covers also basic housing costs.

A one-off lump-sum payment of other costs can be requested in exceptional cases.

What conditions do I need to meet?

The applicant must be a person in material need. Such a person has income that is insufficient to cover basic needs and at the same time is objectively unable (due to age, health, family situation) to increase this income on their own. Such person has no other means or possibilities to improve their situation, for instance by work, selling property, application of entitlements, etc.

Some circumstances are in violation of the right to assistance in material need. The following persons are ineligible:

• persons who do not try to improve their situation by actions on their own; persons who are not working and are not registered as job seekers with the Labour Office;
• persons registered as job seekers but who refuse to accept offered employment or to participate in job training;
• persons in confinement, detention or prison;
• persons who have been fined for truancy of their children.

Living allowance (příspěvek na živobytí)

Individuals or families are eligible if income is less than the subsistence/living amount (částka na živobytí) after subtracting reasonable housing costs.

This amount is defined individually for every person in the family after evaluating their options and efforts. The living and subsistence/existence minimums are used as the reference scale.

The individual living amounts are then calculated in the case of a family.

The living minimum is defined as follows:

The subsistence minimum is defined as CZK 3,130.

Housing supplement (doplatek na bydlení)

Individuals and families are eligible if they lack sufficient income to cover adequate housing. In general, assistance is provided if income is still insufficient after the family has been declared eligible for the housing allowance from the State social support system and for the living allowance.

Extraordinary immediate assistance (mimořádná okamžitá pomoc)

Extraordinary Immediate Assistance is provided to persons who find themselves in situations that have to be resolved immediately, i.e. in the case of

• serious threats to their health;
• a serious extraordinary event such as a natural disaster (flood, windstorm, earthquake, fire, other destructive event, ecological or industrial accident, etc.) and other unforeseeable and unavoidable events threatening housing and/or basic needs.
• lack of sufficient resources to cover one-off expenses connected to official documents (such as administrative fees for duplicate copies of personal documents or in cases of monetary loss).
• lack of sufficient resources to acquire or repair basic furniture or durables.
• lack of sufficient resources to cover justified costs relating to the education or special interests (e.g. hobbies, after-school education etc.) of dependent children or ensuring necessary activities of social and legal protection of children.
• risk of social exclusion such as for people who have been released from custody or from prison, who have left an orphanage or foster care on reaching adulthood, or who have completed treatment for an addiction.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

Living allowance

It is calculated as the difference between the living amount and the family's income after subtracting housing costs. Such costs must be reasonable and up to 30%  of the family's income.

Example:

In some cases the living amount equals the subsistence minimum:

• if the applicant is more than three months late in maintenance payment for dependent children;
• if the applicant's employment was terminated due to a gross violation of duties over the past six months;
• if the individual is in the care of a healthcare establishment for the entire month.

The living allowance may be increased if the applicant's health requires special dietary foods. The maximum adjustment is CZK 2,200 per month. The exact table of such increases can be found on the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs website.

Housing supplement

The amount is defined so as to ensure the living amount remains for a family or individual after paying housing costs.

Extraordinary immediate assistance

The amount depends on the applicant's situation.

Where and how to apply

Assistance in material need must be applied for in person or in writing at the Labour Office's regional offices and contact points at the place of residence.

Jargon busters

• The living minimum (životní minimum) is the socially recognised minimum level of cash income for food and other basic needs.
• The subsistence minimum (existenční minimum) is the minimum cash income considered essential for survival. The existence minimum cannot be applied to dependent children, old-age pensioners, persons with a third degree disability and persons over the age of 68.

Forms you may need

• Applications for assistance in material need (Žádosti o pomoc v hmotné nouzi), all forms and required confirmations can be found here (in Czech).

Know your rights

These links do not lead to European Commission websites and do not represent the views of the European Commission:

• Act on Assistance in Material Need (Zákon o pomoci v hmotné nouzi) (in Czech);
• Act on Living and Subsistence Minimums (Zákon o životním a existenčním minimu) (in Czech);
• Assistance in material need –- information on benefits in material need from official Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs website (in English).

Please make use of EU assistance services if you experience any problems in applying your rights:

• Social security: your rights in the EU

Useful contacts

Labour Office of the Czech Republic (Úřad práce České republiky)
Contact counselling centre:
Tel. +420 844844803
kontaktni.centrum@mpsv.cz, callcentrum@mpsv.cz

List of the Labour Office's regional offices and contact points (in Czech): https://www.uradprace.cz/web/cz/kontakty-2

Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic (Ministerstvo práce a sociálních věcí ČR) Na Poříčním právu 1/376
128 01 Prague 2
CZECH REPUBLIC
Tel. +420 221921111
Data box: sc9aavg

Website of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic in English