Housing allowance overhaul splits rent standards by district, cutting benefits in Ostrava and Brno

The super-allowance, introduced to replace four separate benefits paid by the Úřad práce, now determines the housing component using district-specific rent norms instead of a simple split between municipalities under or over 70,000 residents. Only Prague and Brno previously had a special category. Minister Aleš Juchelka, who hails from Ostrava, said rent levels should be set according to regional conditions.

Under the new system, each district will have separate norms for one- to five-plus-person households, with higher standards for vulnerable families. While Prague and Olomouc see increases, Ostrava and Brno face reductions—for example, a four-person household in Brno could lose around 2,000 CZK, and a three-person household in Ostrava about 516 CZK. Existing recipients will have their payments automatically recalculated, and the ministry has not yet answered queries about those who previously missed out due to low income-to-rent ratios.