This will be the wallet card. The balance will fluctuate between 150 and 300 euros every four months and will allow you to buy basic food or personal care products in supermarkets and some shops. In addition, it can be supplemented with a mobile application that allows you to purchase products not sold during the day with a discount of up to 70%. Only families living in the Basque Country who are in dire economic need and have difficulty meeting their basic needs as a result of rising prices will be eligible.

It is estimated that around 2,500 families in the Basque Country, amounting to about 10,000 people in total, will be able to benefit from this food and hygiene bonus, which will add a minimum of 450 and a maximum of 900 euros over three months. payments during the year. The “Hitzartuz” program, presented today by the Basque government, stipulates that it will be distributed to those who qualify up to three times during this year. The management of this “wallet card” will be taken over by the Red Cross, which will be responsible for checking compliance with the established requirements of emergency.

The aid, which is scheduled to begin distributing soon, coincides with the one announced at the end of 2022 by Executive Director Pedro Sanchez. The measure planned by the government establishes that families with an income of less than 27,000 euros per year and assets of less than 75,000 euros, excluding their usual place of residence, will be eligible for a one-time bonus of 200 euros. At the moment, the Basque government does not know for sure whether the two aids can be compatible. In the absence of closing the details by which the respective estates will manage it, they assure that “they should not be incompatible, but rather complement each other, but we still need to see it in detail.”

Through the Red Cross

A maximum amount of €300 in each of the three scheduled payments will be made available to families of four or more. In cases of particularly severe vulnerability, it will be explored whether further assistance can be provided. For families of one person, the assistance will be 150 euros. From January of this year, the Red Cross will coordinate submitted applications, check whether the requirements are met, and proceed with the processing of assistance. The organization will manage each case with an individualized intervention plan. Euskadi Red Cross coordinator Aitor Allende stressed that the award will be given to people “with zero or insufficient income, without any distinction based on origin” and giving priority to cases with “aggravating circumstances such as family responsibilities, financial burdens such as debt or rent, and other exceptional situations.”

Minister for Equality, Justice and Social Policy Béatrice Artolazabal congratulated herself on the implementation of these measures. He emphasized that tools such as the application happy to eat youwhich would allow food at low prices, make it easier for beneficiaries to live with people outside the program, “and eliminate any risk of stigmatization.”

While the priority objective of this initiative is to urgently address the basic needs of the most vulnerable individuals and families, as well as to identify other needs to be met through referral, guidance and coordination with the most appropriate resources, this program also has a pedagogical approach. It aims to improve consumer habits, raise awareness of the social and environmental impacts of water or energy consumption, promote good environmental habits, or promote improved food and nutrition education.