Program Check Prolonged until July

The Ministry of Culture has extended to July the possibility of using the 18-year-old checking checks. The measure was announced this Wednesday, the day when the deadline would end and when the execution of the program is below 20%.

The deadline for ordering and using the leading checks, worth 20 euros, by young people born in 2005 and 2006-an estimated universe of 220,000-should end today.

According to the program of execution of the program, made by the Directorate-General of the Book of Archives and Libraries (DGLAB), until Tuesday, the eve of the deadline, « 44,959 leaders had been issued, and 34,442 » were used.

The result points to a reduced execution rate compared to the estimated potential, as only 20% of the checks were issued, having been redeemed 15%, which means that more than 185,000 of these checks were used.

« Since the measure can also benefit its potential beneficiaries, many of them currently attend secondary and post-secrecy education, it is justified that its term is extended to date after the end of the school year, in order to achieve a greater number of effective beneficiaries, » explains an order by Secretary of State for Culture, Alberto Santos.

The regulation of the Check Program, created by March 2024 Ordinance, predicted that this year’s book checks be used by beneficiaries until September 30, 2024, a date subsequently extended until April 23 this year, by order of the Minister of Culture, following delays in the creation of the checks broadcast platform.

The program eventually started on October 31st.

After a start of 30,000 leaders were issued in the first month of the program (more than 11,000 in the first two days alone), between early December and early March this year only 10,000 leaders were issued (for a total of 40,000).