Christmas bonuses announced by some Croatian cities range from 40 to 150 euros, and eligibility depends on place of residence and income.

In some places, all pensioners will receive the money, while elsewhere the assistance is intended only for those with lower pensions. Laura Damnjanović Šalamon writes about the amounts and conditions for net.hr, in the RTL Danas report.

How much is each city paying?

Rijeka has allocated 130 or 150 euros for the most vulnerable citizens, depending on the beneficiary category. Velika Gorica is paying from 40 to 120 euros, with people on lower incomes receiving more. In Poreč, all approximately 5,000 pensioners can count on 111 euros, while Zagreb will pay 100 euros to pensioners whose pension amounts to no more than 350 euros. In Velika Gorica and Rijeka, the assistance also includes certain other groups of citizens, including the unemployed.

Not everyone can count on assistance

According to data reported by net.hr, Christmas bonuses for pensioners are paid by around 250 out of a total of 556 Croatian cities and municipalities. Many therefore remain without this assistance, and even where it is paid there are different conditions. How much such an allowance means was described by Darko Stanilović, a pensioner and president of the Velika Gorica Pensioners' Association: 'It's not a lot of money, but it means a lot to us.'

The Pensioners' Union of Croatia warns that the Christmas bonus still cannot replace higher pensions. Secretary General Igor Knežević explains this with simple arithmetic: 120 euros of one-time assistance, spread over the whole year, amounts to 10 euros per month. The money can make it easier to buy food for the holidays, but after Christmas, retired workers are left with the same regular bills and expenses.