At the government level, we have been working since 2010 to make it good to be a woman and a mother in Hungary, Katalin Novák, the minister without portfolio responsible for families, wrote in a statement sent to MTI.
It is an important, strategic goal to make more and more opportunities available to them. With a number of measures, we ensure true freedom of choice so that mothers can fulfill themselves in all areas of life. We believe that raising children and a profession can be reconciled, which is why we have been supporting mothers and families with family-oriented measures since 2010. Thanks to the GYED Extra package of measures, mothers can return to the labor market and do not have to give up benefits, even if they work 8 hours a day. The maximum amount of the child care fee increases every year with the increase of the minimum wage, so it has more than doubled since 2010, and in 2021 it will amount to HUF 234,360. The return to work is also helped by the continuous development and increase of nursery places.
We also included grandmothers and grandfathers in the program, they can also go to GYED instead of their parents, thus strengthening harmony between generations.
More than 304,000 women have already taken advantage of the "Women 40" discount pension since it was announced by the Orbán government in 2011. If the grandmother uses the GYED or GYES with regard to her grandson, their duration must also be taken into account.
We also aim to ensure that female students who have used Student Loans to complete their higher education do not start their lives with debt, they can request a suspension of their repayment obligation for 3 years from the 12th week of pregnancy, and their Student Loan debt will not increase during that time - the interest incurred will be paid by the budget undertakes. In the event of the birth or adoption of a third or additional child, the entire outstanding debt of the borrower's mother will be waived. By March 31, 2021, 5,105 mothers had already taken advantage of the repayment suspension option, 4,018 people had the option of 50% and 2,205 people had the option of 100% debt reduction. that's why we also give them special support.
We will also introduce a measure that can be considered unique in Europe from July 1, 2021: the amount of the childcare fee (CSED) will be increased from the previous 70% to 100% of the gross income, thanks to which working mothers before having children will receive the previous net amount during maternity leave they can receive benefits that significantly exceed their wages.
The personal income tax exemption for those under 25 will apply to the CSED, so next year a mother who has a child before the age of 25 can receive her previous gross salary as a childcare fee.
In the future, we will continue to make decisions that help mothers, so that it is good for a woman in Hungary to have a child, start a family, or as a mother raising a child, it is easier to return to or find a job in the labor market.
