AD on Budgetary measures and disability

With regards to the Budgetary measures on disability, Dr Claire Azzopardi Lane, AD spokesperson on disability and sports, said: “AD agrees with the measure taken by the government in this Budget, where people with disability who start working do not lose their pension immediately but gradually. Yet AD suggests that rather than using the same system for everyone, the needs of people with disability are assessed and those who have additional impairment-related costs keep their pension or part of it. The Guardianship Board is also a positive development although it is imperative that in line with Article 12 of the United Nations Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disability, which underlines equal recognition before the law, the Guardianship Board’s decisions favour supported decision making not substitute decision making.”

AD finds that the increase in the special children’s allowance which is given in addition to the children’s allowance to parents of children with disability is not extensive enough. The allowance was raised from 16.31 euro to 20 euro a week, which is certainly not a substantial increase given the expenses incurred by the families of these children. Although there has been a increase in state service essentially in education, given the cost of resources such as mobility equipment, educational resources and related services parents are still faced with expenses that are beyond their reach. Resorting to charity organizations and such schemes is seen as undignified, and extensive state funding rather than charity should be made available. Furthermore this budget did not provide people with disability with an increase in the disability pension, which is still a miserly 55% of the minimum wage.

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Rigward il-miżuri tal-Budget fuq diżabilita’, Dr Claire Azzopardi Lane, il-kelliema ta’ AD dwar diżabilita’ u sport, qalet: “AD taqbel ma’ miżuri li ha l-gvern f’dan il-Budget, fejn persuni b’diżabilita’ li jibdew jaħdmu ma jitilfux il-pensjoni immedjatament imma bilmod. Iżda AD tissuġġerixxi li minflok tintuża l-istess sistema għal kulhħdd, il-htiġijiet ta’ persuni b’diżabilita’ jiġu studjati u dawk li għandhom spejjeż żejda marbutin mad-diżabilita’ tagħhom ikunu jistgħu iżommu l-pensjoni jew parti minnha. Il-Guardianship Board ukoll huwa żvilupp pożittiv għalkemm jeħtieg li skont Artiklu 12 tal-Konvenzjoni tal-Ġnus Magħquda dwar id-Drittijiet ta’ Persuni b’Diżabilita’, li temfasizza għarfien ugwali quddiem il-liġi, id-deċizjonijiet tal-Guardianship Board iservu ta’ appoġġ u mhux sostituzzjoni.”

AD tħoss li ż-żieda fil-benefiċċju speċjali tat-tfal li jingħata apparti l-benefiċċju regolari tat-tfal lil ġenituri ta’ tfal b’diżabilita’ mhux estensiv bizzejjed. Il-benefiċċju żdied minn16.31 ewro għal 20 ewro fil-ġimgħa, li ċertament mhix xi żieda sostanzjali meta tikkunsidra l-ispejjeż ta’ dawn il-familji. Għalkemm kien hemm żieda fis-servizzi essenzjali statali fl-edukazzjoni, meta tħares lejn l-ispiża ta’ riżorsi bħal makkinarju mobilarju, riżorsi edukattivi u servizzi relatati, il-ġenituri xorta għadhom mgħobbijin bi spejjeż li ma jifilħux ghalihom. Li ddur lejn organizzazzjonijiet karitattivi u skemi oħra huwa inqas dinjituz. Għalhekk fondi aktar estensivi mill-istat għandhom ikunu aċċessibbli minflok. Barra minn hekk, dan il-budget ma’ tax żieda lill-persuni b’diżabilita’ fil-pensjoni li jirċievu, li għadha biss 55% tal-paga minima.