Katalin Novák, State Secretary for Family and Youth Affairs, said the Hungarian government does not want to see couples who decide to have children be at a disadvantage compared to those who choose not to have any.
Speaking on Kossuth Radio over the weekend, the state secretary said couples who choose to have children will see an increase in the scale of the infant-care benefit, paid during the first six months after birth, from July 1, 2021.
The state secretary said the infant-care benefit, known by its Hungarian acronym CSED, will rise from 70 to 100 percent of the gross salary, not only will new mothers not have to give up a part of their income, but it will in fact increase.
According to MTI, the state secretary said the policy will cost the budget HUF 14 billion (EUR 39.4m) every six months and will help some 80,000 families. And since mothers who have at least four children are exempt from personal income tax, a fourth child allows them to keep their gross salary in full, she added.
In regard to the opposition’s criticisms of the government’s family policies, Novák said: “No one is interfering in anyone’s private life choices.” The government wants young people to be able to have as many children as they want whenever they want, she said.
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