Material Reception Conditions (aka Social Welfare benefits for asylum seekers)

What are Material Reception Conditions?

In Cyprus, asylum seekers (and others!) refer to Material Reception Conditions (MRC) as Social Welfare benefits. 

Here’s the definition of MRC.

Subsistence support provided by an EU Member State to an applicant for international protection consisting of housing, food and clothing, in kind or as financial allowances or in vouchers, or a combination of the three, and a daily expenses allowance.

Who qualifies for Material Reception Conditions and how much should you expect to receive? 

Asylum seekers who do not have income from a job or other resources to survive are eligible. 

How do you apply for Material Reception Conditions?

The answer to this question depends on how you arrived in Cyprus, where you first lived, and how you applied for asylum.

Kofinou/Pournara Reception Camps

• If you started your asylum process in Pournara, you should apply there just before you leave the camp. Your application will be then forwarded to the Social Welfare office located in the district of your address.
• Please note that the authorities have a right to provide MRC to you ”in kind” by placing you at Kofinou Reception Centre. In such case, you will not be asked to complete an application. 

Outside the Camps

If you applied for asylum at Immigration Office, you will need to submit an application yourself at the Social Welfare office in your district.  The application is available here or on our Forms page.

How do you get MRC after you make the application?

It is important to note that MRC may not flow smoothly. There are a several issues that are common. We provide the following notes to help you avoid as many of these as possible. Please read them carefully!

• After SW accepts your application, you will probably be able collect an advance amount of money (usually the equivalent of a monthly benefit) for your first MRC.  (If you applied from Pournara, you will need to present yourself at SW to collect.)
• After that, MRC for the first few months will be issued by cheques and sent to your address so you need to secure a bank account. 
• MRC are prepared at the end of the month so you receive them the following month, eg. benefits for March will arrive at the beginning of April.
• MRC are paid by cheque, per family.
• The amount of the monthly benefit is reduced if you don’t have a contract of rent (see Revised Benefit Allowances above). 
• If you have contract of rent and all required documents from the landlord , you may receive housing allowance to help you pay your rent. A cheque with the allowance will be sent to your landlord directly.  See our post “Having trouble with your housing benefits?” for more of the required documents.
• MRC will not be paid if Social Workers find out that you do not live at the declared address or the conditions of your accommodation are substandard. 
• You must inform SW of any changes in your circumstances (new address, tel number, change of marital status or family composition, if you start working but also if you have special circumstances and require additional assistance due to medical condition or abuse or violence). 
• As an asylum seeker, you are not allowed to work for the first 9 months. After this period of time, you will need to show the authorities that you are willing to work. You do so by registering as unemployed at the Labour Office and thus asking the Labour Office to look for a job for you. If you are not registered at the Labour Office, SW will stop issuing your benefits. 

What if you don’t receive your cheque? 

Before a cheque reaches your address, it needs to be ordered by your Social Worker, approved by her/his supervisor, printed and delivered to your address by a postman. If you don’t receive your cheque, you need confirm with your Social Worker whether it was ordered and printed. If so, you then need to check with the post office why it was not delivered to your address. 

Postmen will not leave cheques at addresses that look abandoned or without letter boxes. In such cases, the cheques are brought to the SW office and your Social Worker may call you to collect it from there. 

If the cheque was printed but cannot be found, you need to ask for an investigation. You will need to sign a relevant form at the SW office. If your cheque has not been cashed, you will be compensated. If it has been cashed, you will have an option to ask for police investigation for which you will need to pay 15 euros. Note that the police investigation does not guarantee that you will get your money back. 

When are MRC terminated?

• If you receive International Protection Status.
• If your asylum application is rejected AND your appeal deadline expires.
• If your asylum application appeal is examined AND rejected.

If you’re having trouble navigating the system, we are here to try to help. You can contact our Help Line to make an appointment. Visit Our Schedule for hours and contact information.