The tax unit is the family and there are allowances for dependent children. While there are no special cash benefits for lone parents, they are eligible for a significant tax allowance. As noted above, recent attention has been directed at coordination of tax allowances with child allowances to help low-income families. Return to Top Other Child Conditioned Income Transfers Under the old age and disability pension schemes, there are child survivor benefits which are doubled for full orphans. Under the permanent disability benefit scheme, there are child supplements and survivor benefits.
Eligibility qualifies the family for housing aid.
Return to Top Child and Adolescent Health Medical coverage is based on a health insurance system, organized through occupation-based sickness funds. Legislation enacted in 1977 stipulated that children must be brought to the maternity centers where they were born for two medical examinations immediately after birth and four subsequent examinations before the age of two. When a child is born the parents are given a medical card on which the results of the compulsory examinations are recorded. Subsequently the card must be available when visiting a doctor's office. There is a free vaccination program, periodically updated following scientific developments.