Parents who take time away from work to care for seriously ill children, either in hospital or at home, could see that period recognised towards their pension rights under a proposed reform of Cyprus’s pension system.
The provision for informal carers is included in the draft legislation being prepared as part of the pension reform, according to the Labour Ministry.
However, families travelling abroad to access medical treatment continue to face financial pressures, while the Health Ministry has explained why it has not introduced advance payments for patients and their accompanying relatives.
The issues were discussed on Tuesday by the House Labour Committee during a session examining support for parents whose children are seriously ill, covering the period until their treatment is completed.
Pension recognition for informal carers
A Labour Ministry representative told MPs that informal carers are included in the planning for pension reform.
The aim is to ensure that time spent caring for a sick child can count towards a parent’s pension rights rather than remaining outside the existing framework.
However, recognising informal carers for pension purposes would not automatically introduce the special paid leave that families have been requesting.
The ministry is also working on a proposed increase in parental leave benefits and examining whether the benefit could be available for a longer period, as well as whether the entitlement could be used on an annual basis.
No specific benefit amounts or revised leave periods were announced.
In a subsequent intervention, a ministry representative said it would be difficult to have a new arrangement ready by November, stressing that the issue involved a political decision with financial implications.
The representative also pointed to last year’s increase in parental leave benefits and the planned recognition of informal carers as steps already taken towards improving support.
Advance payments for treatment abroad remain an obstacle
The Health Ministry’s explanation for not introducing advance payments for patients and accompanying relatives travelling abroad for treatment prompted strong reactions from MPs.
A ministry representative said the option had been considered but was rejected because it was expected to double the administrative workload.
The ministry also argued that the final amount each patient and accompanying person is entitled to receive is not always known in advance, creating a risk that payments could exceed the amounts ultimately approved.
MPs challenged this reasoning, suggesting that an initial payment covering a smaller proportion of the expected costs could be introduced instead.
They also pointed to the experience of the pandemic, when workers and employers were required to repay money they had received, arguing that recovering excess payments was not necessarily an insurmountable obstacle.
The Health Ministry representative acknowledged that the decision on advance payments would provoke a negative reaction but maintained that practical difficulties remained.
The ministry also admitted that staffing shortages were affecting its work and said improvements to the time taken to process applications were being planned.
Changes to allowances under consideration
The Health Ministry is proposing the removal of income criteria for the relevant support scheme, with the decision currently awaiting approval.
It has also proposed extending the accompanying person’s allowance to cases where the person stays in a hospital abroad. Under the current arrangements, some relatives need to rent separate accommodation even when the patient is hospitalised.
Patient organisations argued that these measures would not be sufficient without a dedicated paid leave entitlement and protection against dismissal for parents who stop working to care for their children.
They noted that the request has been under discussion since June 2025 and called for action to be taken without further delay.
One proposal was to begin by covering families affected by childhood cancer, which the organisations estimated at approximately 40 cases a year.
Committee seeks answers by November
The debate highlighted the gap between the measures being considered by the government and the immediate needs of families caring for seriously ill children.
While the proposed pension reform could provide longer-term recognition for parents who interrupt their careers to provide care, families are also seeking practical assistance with lost income, employment security and the costs associated with treatment abroad.
The House Labour Committee has requested written responses from the Labour Ministry by the end of November and is expected to revisit the issue once those answers have been received.
