A new social assistance program will help relieve low-income families of their burden of bills. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced yesterday that the state would cover electricity consumption up to 150 kilowatts per hour monthly for families dependent on social assistance. He said this was equivalent of about an 80 TL ($14.5) electricity bill per month and would cover more than 2.5 million households receiving regular social assistance.

Adding new phrases to its growing welfare model, Turkey seeks to end poverty for low-income households and has reached out to 2 million people last year with cash assistance.

The government says Turkey tops the list of countries reducing poverty most in the past fifteen years. Among social assistance programs are child benefits - an average 826 TL for disadvantaged families, cash assistance paid to cover the education needs of children of low-income families and payments for home care of the disabled and senior citizens. The state also provides low-cost housing to more than 33,000 families.