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In 2018 the child allowance for the first and second child of a family will be 55 euros each and for the next children 100 euros each, the ministry said.

As of March 1 the parents of triplets or higher-order multiples will be paid an allowance in the amount of 1,000 euros a month for one parent until the children become 18 months old. The purpose of the allowance is to enable the parent to hire a person to help them with childcare.

In addition, as of March recipients of the parental benefit can receive an earned income of no more than half of the ceiling of the parental benefit, which next year will be 1,544 euros a month, without the parental benefit paid to them being reduced. To those earning more than that a parental benefit of no less than 470 euros a month will be ensured in 2018.

Prescription drugs will become more affordable. According to a new system, if the cost of medicinal products of a person is between 100 euros and 300 euros per year, the person would have to pay 50% less. If the expenses exceed 300 euros per year, the person would have to pay 90% less for medicinal products.

In addition, the dental care reimbursement for adults will rise from the present 30 euros to 40 euros a year and a reimbursement of  85 euros will be made introduced for people suffering from specific diseases and conditions which make the availability of dental care a must, such as diabetes and the the autoimmune condition Sjogren's syndrome.

The heads of companies who do not get paid and who become unemployed will be entitled to receive unemployment insurance benefit as well as help finding a job equal to other unemployed persons. 

The consolidated budget of the administrative area of the Ministry of Social Affairs will be 4.46 billion euros in 2018 and will increase by 625 million euros in 2018-2021.