HZMO announced that the payment of the national allowance for the elderly begins on Monday, August 17, while the first payments for foster carers and parent caregivers have already started.
August brings a series of payouts for thousands of Croatian citizens who receive financial benefits from the social welfare system. While some have already received their money, others are still waiting, and the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute (HZMO) has just announced the exact start date for the payment of the national allowance for the elderly for July.
The payment of the national allowance for the elderly for July begins on Monday, August 17, 2026, HZMO announced. A total of 19,445 beneficiaries will receive the money in their accounts at commercial banks. For this purpose, €3,109,859.48 has been secured from the State Budget.
The monthly allowance amount since the beginning of 2026 is €160.22. Interestingly, women dominate among beneficiaries, accounting for 80.21 percent, while men make up 19.79 percent.
This allowance can be claimed by Croatian citizens over 65 years of age with continuous residence in Croatia for at least 10 years before submitting the application. Crucially, the person must not receive a pension and must not be insured under the mandatory pension system. Additionally, the total income of the applicant and their household members in the previous calendar year must not exceed €320.44 per month per member.
Candidates must not be beneficiaries of the guaranteed minimum benefit nor have a recognized right to accommodation services under social welfare regulations. Furthermore, the applicant must not be a recipient of maintenance based on a life-care or deferred maintenance contract, except in cases where proceedings for termination, nullity, or annulment of the contract have been initiated. The right to the national allowance accrues from the date of application submission, and applications can be submitted at any time, in person at the regional HZMO office, by registered mail, or electronically via the e-Citizens system.
In addition to the national allowance for the elderly, other social welfare benefits are also being paid out during August, all according to decisions by regional offices of the Croatian Institute for Social Work. Payments for parent caregivers began on Tuesday, August 11. A day later, on Wednesday, August 12, payments for standard foster care started, while beneficiaries of specialized foster care will receive their money from Thursday, August 13.
Most remaining beneficiaries in the social welfare system can expect payment from Thursday, August 20, 2026.
