Ombudsman orders review of child and single-parent benefit rejections

Cyprus Ombudsman Maria Stylianou-Lottidou has requested that the Welfare Benefits Management Service (WDEP) re-evaluate the applications of a woman whose requests for child and single-parent benefits for 2024 and 2025 were rejected. The claimant filed complaints regarding delays in the processing of her applications, which were ultimately denied by the service.

The rejections were based on the finding that the applicant failed to meet the requirement of legal and continuous residency in government-controlled areas for the five years preceding the application. Specifically, the authorities cited a gap in the applicant's residency status between January 2020 and June 2022. The Ombudsman’s office is now intervening to ensure a formal re-examination of the decision.

This case highlights the strict residency criteria applied to social welfare claims in Cyprus. The Ombudsman’s intervention follows the woman's formal complaints, seeking to clarify whether the residency documentation was evaluated correctly or if the applicant qualifies under existing legal frameworks.