Gallery: Family benefits cut protest held outside Riigikogu
An Isamaa-organized protest against the government's cuts to large families' benefits took place outside the Riigikogu on Monday.
Members of parliament, children, and dozens of strollers gathered at Toompea this afternoon to protest against changes to the Family Benefits Act.
The new Reform-Eesti 200-SDE coalition plans to curb benefit rises which were green-lit less than a year ago under the last coalition, which also included Reform and SDE as well as the current opposition party Isamaa.
Under the new rules, from January 1, 2024, the allowance for families with between three and six children will fall by €200 to €450 and by the same amount to €650 for families with more than seven children.
As of July 1, legislation that gives families support until the youngest child is 19 will also be repealed. The indexation of family allowance will also be waived.
A round table held on Monday and attended by representatives from each of the parties represented in the parliament did not find a solution that pleased Isamaa, party Chairman Helir-Valdor Seeder said.
MPs were supposed to start the first reading of the amendments on Monday but had not started an hour into the session after opposition parties launched an obstruction.
Both Isamaa and Center have said it will not be easy for the government to pass the bill.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Helen Wright