The average time to review applications for Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI) has been cut to 60 days, the deputy welfare minister said on Tuesday.

In a video message, Marilena Evangelou said this target was achieved in December – ahead of the planned timetable.

“In other words, this has been achieved in less than a year after having attained our initial target of reducing the average examination time to 90 days,” she said.

The 90-day target had been achieved back in January 2024.

Evangelou said speedier processing of applications has been helped by the use of digital technologies and automated systems.

Dealing with delays in processing GMI applications, she added, “reinforces the social safety net”.

The deputy minister also highlighted a programme aiming to integrate GMI beneficiaries into the labour market.

“The philosophy of GMI, not only in Cyprus but also across Europe, is not to just provide the benefit,” she noted.

“A key goal is to end the dependence on benefits of those who can join the labour market.”

This Social Intervention Programme, as it has been dubbed, is binding on participants who are GMI beneficiaries.

Within the space of a year, said Evangelou, over 2,500 beneficiaries have applied to the programme.

Most such beneficiaries met their obligations and got a job. A small number furnished documentation proving they could not in fact work. Some, who were deemed able to work but did not, had their GMI benefit cut.