Despite two years of declining energy prices, the number of households receiving housing benefits continues to rise, reaching 296,000 by the end of April – an increase of nearly 17,000 over the past year. The government’s financial burden has grown significantly, with April’s payouts reaching 1.94 billion crowns, marking a 15% increase from the previous year.
Daniel Hůle from People in Need attributes this trend to several factors, including lack of awareness about benefit eligibility and stigma preventing some eligible recipients from applying. Even with falling gas and electricity prices, many households who locked in rates during 2023 still face high energy costs, with wage growth failing to keep pace with overall expenses.
The situation is further complicated by rising rental costs. According to Hynek Kalvoda from the Association of Civil Advisory Centers, both private landlords and municipalities have implemented substantial rent increases, with some municipal housing costs surging by up to 90%. For many families, social benefits aren’t sufficient to bridge this growing affordability gap.
The trend shows no signs of slowing, with benefit recipients having quadrupled since April 2021, when only 159,000 households claimed support. The start of 2025 brought increased benefit caps, resulting in monthly payments rising by hundreds of crowns for many families.