State social support

State Social Assistance Benefit (so-called “super-benefit”)

As of October 1, 2025, a new law on the state social assistance benefit comes into effect.

Eligibility will apply to a person who resides in the Czech Republic and is at the same time:

• an EU citizen registered for residence in the Czech Republic for more than 3 months,
• a person whose entitlement arises from directly applicable EU regulations, or a person entitled to equal treatment under EU law, and who is at the same time employed, self-employed, or retains such status,
• a family member of persons referred to in the previous two points — including a family member of an EU citizen.
• a family member of a Czech citizen to whom a residence card for a family member of an EU citizen from another member state has been issued, or who has been granted a long-term residence permit in the Czech Republic – NOTE: this category includes so-called “directive family members,” i.e. family members of EU citizens who have exercised their right to free movement within the EU; it is currently unclear whether so-called “non-directive family members,” who constitute the majority of family members of EU citizens, will also be entitled to the benefit.

The new state social assistance benefit, the so-called “super-benefit,” replaces four previously existing benefits: the housing allowance, child allowance, subsistence allowance, and housing supplement. Instead of submitting four separate applications, only one comprehensive application with all supporting documents is now required, and it is no longer necessary to repeatedly submit the same documents for individual benefit applications.

The benefit consists of four components: a housing component, a subsistence component, a child bonus, and a work bonus. Entitlement may arise for only one component or for all four components, depending on whether the applicant meets the relevant conditions.

• Housing Component

The housing component is a part of the benefit intended to cover housing costs (rent, utilities, etc.). It replaces the previously existing housing allowance and housing supplement.

The main requirement is a valid legal title (e.g. a lease agreement or a lodging agreement in a boarding house) to an apartment or, newly, also to non-residential premises that meet basic standards (access to drinking water, a designated space for cooking, etc.), and that the household actually resides there.

Entitlement arises if housing costs exceed a certain legally defined part (30%) of the household’s income, while at the same time this amount must not be higher than the recognized housing costs.

Put simply, if a household spends more than 30% of its net income on housing costs, it may be entitled to this component, but only up to the amount that the state considers reasonable costs.

The exact calculation of the benefit amount is very complex; for an indicative estimate, it is currently possible to use this online calculator of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (however, its calculation is not binding). 

• Subsistence Component

The subsistence component is a part of the benefit intended for households whose income is so low that it is insufficient even to cover their basic living needs. It is intended to help cover essential expenses such as food, clothing, and hygiene. It replaces the previously existing subsistence allowance.

A household is entitled to this component if its decisive income is below 1.43 times the subsistence minimum. The amount of the benefit is calculated as the difference between the amount required for the household members’ basic living needs and 70% of the decisive income.

The amount for basic living needs is set at the subsistence minimum level for dependent children; at the existential minimum level for persons who are economically active or vulnerable; and at CZK 0 for other persons. A person is considered economically active, among others, if they work at least 30 hours in a standard employment relationship, are self-employed, are registered as a job seeker, are recognized as temporarily unfit for work for the purposes of the benefit, receive foster care remuneration, care for a dependent minor child in non-mediated foster care, or, subject to additional conditions, also persons entrusted with the care of a child.

The amount for basic living needs may be increased if a person complies with a so-called support plan or has a prescribed dietary requirement (e.g. coeliac disease). The support plan is a new instrument to be prepared by Labour Office staff together with recipients of the subsistence component. It is intended to set out various measures to improve the household’s social, asset, and income situation, and, for example, to support a return to employment, offer retraining opportunities, and provide social counselling.

• Child Bonus

The child bonus is a component of the benefit intended to help cover the costs of a dependent child. It replaces the previously existing child allowance.

A household is entitled to this component if it includes a dependent child and, at the same time, its decisive income does not exceed four times the household’s subsistence minimum.

The amount of the benefit depends on the number of dependent children and the household’s income.

A condition for entitlement is regular school attendance of the children and work activity of all adult household members, unless they are considered vulnerable persons.

• Work Bonus

The work bonus is a component of the benefit intended to provide a financial advantage to households where at least one member is employed..

To be eligible, at least one of the other components of the benefit must be higher than CZK 0, and at least one household member must have income considered for the work bonus – this can include income from employment or self-employment, sickness insurance benefits if paid for the entire calendar month, foster care remuneration, equivalent foreign income, or parental allowance following maternity benefit.

For households with income up to 1.6 times the subsistence minimum, the work bonus amounts to 40% of total income (any income, not only the types listed above) from work activity. For households with income above 1.6 times the subsistence minimum, the work bonus is gradually reduced.

Vulnerable Persons

Since so-called vulnerable persons receive significant advantages in terms of entitlement to the benefit or its amount, it is useful to specify which persons are considered vulnerable. These are:

• Persons over 68 years of age,
• Recipients of an old-age pension,
• Persons with second- or third-degree disability,
• Persons receiving maternity benefit or sickness benefit related to childbirth,
• A parent (always only one parent per household) caring for a child under 4 years of age, or a single parent caring for a child under 7 years of age,
• A person caring for a child under 10 years of age who is dependent on another person’s assistance at level I, or a person caring for a person dependent on another person’s assistance at level II or higher, provided that this was indicated in the application for the care allowance or reported to the relevant authority after the care allowance was granted,
• Recipients of care allowance at level II or higher,
• A dependent child (a child under 18 years of age  who is after completing compulsory school attendance registered as a job seeker will no longer be considered dependent),
• A surviving spouse or partner, for a period of 12 calendar months from the month following the month in which their spouse or partner passed away.

Consideration of the Household’s Financial Situation (so-called Asset Test)

To assess entitlement to the benefit, the household’s financial situation is examined. Specifically, the number of owned properties, vehicles, and the amount of savings are taken into account, as these may affect eligibility for the benefit.

A household may own only one property used as its residence. Ownership of an additional property (e.g., a cottage or a second apartment) does affect eligibility for the benefit. Ownership of two properties is allowed only if the household sells the second property within three years from the date the application was submitted. This means that a household owning more than one property can receive the benefit for a maximum of three years from the first application.

A household is also not entitled to the benefit if there is more than one car per adult household member.

As for savings, they may consist of both cash and bank account balances, up to a limit of CZK 200,000 to CZK 400,000, depending on the number of household members. For a single-person household, savings may not exceed CZK 200,000, with the maximum limit increasing by CZK 50,000 for each additional household member, up to a maximum of CZK 400,000. Savings do not include, for example, pension insurance or building savings plan with a state contribution.

Application for the benefit

The application can now only be submitted electronically through the JENDA application. To access the application, the applicant must have a form of rem electronic identity (e.g., bank identity, NIA ID).

Alternatively, the applicant can use the so-called assisted application submission, where they visit a contact office of the Czech Labour Office and staff help them to fill out the application electronically (no electronic identity is required for this).

What needs to be submitted with the application:

• proof of identity (ID card or passport),
• for foreigners, likely also proof of residence permit,
• consent from other household members,
• a housing contract (lease agreement, sublease agreement, accommodation contract, etc.), including proof of housing expenses paid for the last three months prior to the calendar month in which the application is submitted,
• proof of income for all household members (for employment income, it is sufficient to provide the employer’s company ID number(s) for the last three months prior to the calendar month of application; the Labour Office will request the details directly from the employer(s)), or proof of the amount of income for the last three months, including income from employment, pensions, or other regular income or sources,
• confirmation of studies for persons over 15 and up to 26 years of age (proof of dependent status),
• submission of additional documents depends on the individual situation (e.g. a doctor’s certificate confirming the need for a special diet, a decision granting a pension from pension insurance, a disability decision, court rulings on child support, child custody, or divorce).

It should be sufficient to scan or photograph the documents with a mobile phone and upload with the application. All documents must be provided for the last three calendar months preceding the month in which the application is submitted (e.g. for an application submitted in January 2026, it will be necessary to provide documents for October, November, and December 2025).

The benefit should be paid by the Labour Office in the calendar month following the month for which the benefit is due (i.e. if the application is submitted in January 2026, the benefit should be paid in February 2026).

When will it be possible to apply for the benefit?

Current recipients of existing benefits (housing allowance, child benefit, subsistence allowance, or housing supplement) will continue to receive these benefits until the end of June 2026 (upon extension). However, between October 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025, they must submit a new application for the super-benefit. This new application will be considered as an application for benefits from July 2026; if entitlement to the benefit is granted, payments will therefore begin in August 2026.

If current benefit recipients do not submit a new application for the benefit within the specified period, the payment of their existing benefits will already be stopped in January 2026.

New applicants will be able to apply for the benefit starting from October 2025. However, if the application is submitted in October–November 2025, the statutory processing period will be set at 90 days. Normally, the standard processing period is 30 days; this timeframe should already be observed for applications submitted from January 2026 onwards.

More information about the benefit can be found on the website of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs here.

An (currently unofficial) online calculator for an indicative calculation of eligibility and the amount of the benefit can be found here. However, this does not constitute binding information.

State Social Support (SSS) benefits for non-EU citizens

Housing allowance

If you are staying in the Czech Republic for more than 1 year (long-term residence, permanent residence, asylum, subsidiary protection only), you may be entitled to housing allowance. You can apply for it if your housing costs in Prague are higher than 35% of your income. You can apply for housing allowance online via the Jenda application, or in person at the relevant contact point of the Labour Office, State Social Support Department. You can also submit the application in person.

You must attach a rental agreement, or proof of ownership of the apartment, confirmation of your income and housing expenses to the application. After receiving the benefit, you are obliged to inform the Labour Office every second quarter and update your data.

Maternity leave and maternity allowance

Maternity leave is usually intended for expectant mothers, but in some cases the father or foster parent can also take it. Maternity leave starts 6-8 weeks before the expected birth. The employer must allow you to take maternity leave and you are also protected throughout the pregnancy – i.e. the employer cannot fire you or force you to change your employment contract. Together with maternity leave, you can apply for maternity support, which we call maternity allowance.

You have to meet 2 conditions:

• Be insured for at least 270 days in the past 2 years in the Czech Republic. Every employee is insured for health. If you are self-employed, you must pay for health insurance in order to be able to apply for maternity allowance. Health insurance is not mandatory for self-employed.
• At the time of starting maternity leave, you must be insured for health or be in the so-called protection period, i.e. 180 days from the last employment.

Maternity allowance is for 28 weeks, in the case of twins or more children born, it is 37 weeks, if you start on time. If you start after the child is born, this support is shortened to 22 weeks. If the father wants to go on maternity leave and the mother back to work, this is possible only after 6 weeks from the birth and an agreement between the parents needs to be signed. In this case, the father must meet the same conditions for entitlement to maternity allowance as the mother.

The amount of maternity cash assistance is 70% of the reduced daily assessment base per calendar day (provided by the employer upon request). The daily assessment base is usually determined from the income for the 12 calendar months before starting the benefit.

Your gynecologist will issue an application, which you will forward to your employer, who will send the application to the relevant District Social Security Administration, which will calculate the daily assessment base for you and then send you maternity allowance.

More information to be found HERE.

Paternity leave

The father of the child can start paternity leave in the first 6 weeks after the expected birth of the child and for a period of 14 days.

The application for paternity leave is submitted to the employer. The condition that must be met is 3 months of sickness insurance and the father of the child must be registered in the child’s birth certificate.

If you are self-employed and pay sickness insurance, you can also apply for paternity leave. It is only necessary to take into account that the CSSA has 30 days to comment, so the application must be submitted in time, at least 30 days before starting paternity leave.

The amount of paternity leave is 70% of the reduced daily assessment base per calendar day. The daily assessment base is usually determined from the income for the 12 calendar months before starting the benefit.

You can find the application for the paternity postnatal care benefit HERE.

You can find more information HERE.

Parental allowance

This benefit should be linked to the maternity allowance. If you are not entitled to the maternity allowance, you may still be entitled to the parental allowance.

The condition for the parental allowance is residence in the Czech Republic.

From 1.1.2024, the total amount of the allowance has increased to 350,000 CZK, in the case of multiple children to 525,000 CZK. Please note, it only applies to children born from 1.1. 2024. The allowance is paid monthly according to your daily assessment basis. In practice, this means that you can request the monthly amount that you had on the maternity allowance as the highest monthly amount for the parental allowance. If you did not receive the maternity allowance, you can request a calculation of the daily assessment basis. You can submit an application for a calculation to the Czech Social Security Administration (ČSSZ). You can find the application for a daily assessment basis calculation on the website of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs under the link HERE.

Parental allowance from 1.1.2024 can be drawn until the child is 3 years old.

Parental allowance before 1.1.2024 can be drawn until the child is 4 years old.

The application is submitted to the Labor Office in your place of residence at the State Social Support Department. The application can also be submitted online via the Jenda application. It may happen that the Labor Office requests some documents even after the application has been submitted. You can find the form under the link HERE.

Child allowance

Child allowance is intended for low-income families, especially single mothers, families with young children or students. It is a means-tested benefit and you must provide evidence of the income and expenses of the entire family.

The benefit can be claimed for a child from birth to the age of 18 and then up to the age of 26 if they are studying. It is a dependent child benefit: a parent applies for a minor child, while dependent adults aged 18 to 26 apply for it themselves.

Entitlement to child benefit arises if the family income does not exceed 3.4 times the family subsistence minimum. This is calculated as the sum of the subsistence minimum amounts of the family members. As a rule, this amount changes every year. We recommend looking for a calculator to calculate the subsistence minimum for a given year.

Monthly amount of child allowance depending on the child’s age:

• Up to 6 years – 830 CZK
• From 6 to 15 years – 970 CZK
• From 15 to 26 years – 1,080 CZK

The allowance is increased by CZK 500 if any of the jointly assessed persons has income. The increased assessment takes into account income from employment (which reaches at least the amount of the individual’s subsistence minimum), income from business, sick pay, pension or unemployment benefit, allowance for care of a person under 18 years of age or parental allowance.

Monthly amount of child allowance in increased amounts according to the child’s age:

• Up to 6 years – 1,330 CZK
• From 6 to 15 years – 1,470 CZK
• From 15 to 26 years – 1,580 CZK

The application is submitted as for previous benefits at the Labour Office in your place of residence at the State Social Support Department.
The application can also be submitted online via the Jenda application. It may happen that the Labour Office requests some documents even after the application has been submitted.

More information can be found on the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs website under the link HERE.

Birth grant

It is a benefit for families with low incomes. You can apply for maternity benefit until the child is 1 year old. It is intended mainly for the purchase of baby supplies. The benefit is a so-called tested benefit, so you will have to prove the income and expenses of the entire family to the Labour Office. You can apply for maternity benefit for the 1st and 2nd born live child. For the 1st child, you will receive a one-time benefit of 13,000 CZK, for the second, 10,000 CZK.

The application is submitted as for previous benefits at the Labour Office in your place of residence, at the State Social Support Department.
The application cannot yet be submitted via the Jenda application, but if you have a data box or electronic signature, you can also apply online.

More information and the application can be found on the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs website under the link HERE.

Material Need Benefits for non-EU citizens

Citizens of non-EU countries can only apply for the Extraordinary Immediate Assistance benefit. More information HERE. If you are in an extreme situation and want to verify your entitlement to the Extraordinary Immediate Assistance benefit, please contact the Simi social department.

Other benefits

Care allowance

Do you have a sick child under 10 years old? If you work but have to stay home with a sick child, you can apply for sick leave. It is a benefit from the Czech health insurance system. The basis for calculating the benefit is the daily assessment basis, which will be calculated by the relevant District Social Security Administration. The employer must provide a certificate of “care for a family member”, which will be issued by the sick child’s general practitioner. The employer also requests compensation from the state without your further participation.

Foster care allowance

If you become an official foster parent in the Czech Republic, you have the option to apply for foster care benefits. When applying for foster care benefits, you need to provide a confirmation of the decision to place the child in care. More information can be found on the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs website HERE.

Care allowance

Citizens of non-EU countries with long-term, permanent residence or international protection can apply for a care allowance after 3 months of residence in the Czech Republic. If, due to a long-term adverse health condition, you are unable to care for yourself and are dependent on the help of another person, you can apply for a care allowance. It is possible to apply for a care allowance after 3 months of residence in the Czech Republic. More information HERE.