With the new announcement, I would like to support those families, single people, and pensioners who are no longer entitled to housing maintenance support, but paying the significantly increased price of electricity, natural gas and enough firewood for the entire heating season is a great difficulty for them – Diána Széles, deputy mayor, reported on her social media page.
The amount available in the Relief Fund will continue to be used with the coordination of the Charitable Board, with the cooperation of the organization performing the current presidential task. You can find more information about grants at this link.
You can find out more information about the background and conditions of the support from the bulletin issued by the municipality.
The municipality of Debrecen has a very significant social framework of several billion forints on an annual basis, and it can provide assistance to the needy in the most diverse areas of life. In addition to all of this, the purpose of the creation of the aid fund, which was originally intended to support those who found themselves in a difficult situation due to the coronavirus epidemic, was to provide assistance in situations that are difficult to interpret within the legal framework.
So far, nearly HUF 140 million has been received in the sub-account of the aid fund. Of this, the city has spent HUF 97.5 million on various grants. The use is based on a set of rules adopted by the town assembly. The committee evaluates the received grant requests and applications, and the awarded grants are allocated with the assistance of the Archdiocese of Hajdúdorog, located in Debrecen, which holds the position of president of the Debrecen Charitable Board, in order to ensure that the beneficiaries can access the full amount of the aid awarded. The mayor thanked the leadership of the Debrecen Charitable Board, all contributors, and the archdiocese, that for years this task, which involves considerable administrative burdens, has been carried out practically free of charge for the benefit of the city and the needy.
The state of emergency due to the coronavirus epidemic ended on June 1, 2022, but now we are facing a new state of war. The resulting energy crisis is what forces us to act now.
In accordance with the goals at the time, it was able to help more than 4,600 citizens of Debrecen to deal with the difficulties caused by the coronavirus epidemic with financial support, providing lunch, hot food, or other benefits in kind. With the end of the epidemic situation, a discussion was held with the donors at the time about whether they would agree with the fact that, in the current emergency situation, the city does not reserve the remaining amount, but gives it to where the need requires it.
The town’s general meeting decided on the fate of the so far unused amount of HUF 40 million in the emergency fund. We want to adapt this to the current situation and use it purposefully to ease the difficulties caused by the energy crisis, said the mayor. Those families, individuals, and pensioners who are not entitled to the housing maintenance subsidy regulated in the municipal decree, but who are particularly adversely affected by the increase in energy prices, are now the target groups of the subsidy. Applicants can be selected from among those who had a registered permanent address in Debrecen before January 1, 2021, whose monthly electricity or natural gas consumption exceeds the discounted amount, or who purchased firewood after July 15, 2022. It is important to emphasize that the city of Debrecen can only support residents with a permanent address in Debrecen through the aid fund.
Another condition is that the monthly income per person of family members must reach HUF 88,801, but not exceed HUF 115,500, and for those living alone, it must reach HUF 100,201, but not exceed HUF 130,300. The support can be established for a maximum period of six months. To cover the costs of electricity or natural gas consumption, support can be provided for a maximum of 6 months between October 1, 2022, and April 30, 2023.
For those living in a family, this is HUF 7,000 per month, and for those living alone, it is HUF 8,000 per month. In the case of the purchase of firewood, the support may extend to 30 percent of the costs confirmed by the invoice, up to a maximum of HUF 30,000. In the latter case, the subsidy is not paid monthly, but in one lump sum, either by post or by bank transfer. The final deadline for submitting applications is March 31, 2023, practically the end of the next heating season.
Éva Juhász Rózsahegyiné, the president of the Debrecen Charitable Board, drew attention to the fact that the two mobile phone numbers included in the call for support can be called on working days and during working hours – between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. In the office of the Debrecen Charitable Board – which is located on the ground floor of the Family and Children’s Welfare Center of the County of Debrecen (Thomas Mann utca 2. in Debrecen) – they can only help those interested in filling out the application in person after prior telephone appointment.
The deadline for submitting the application is continuous until March 31, 2023, or until the funds available in the Debrecen City Relief Fund are used up.
Debrecen City Hall
