Social policy shadow minister Paula Mifsud Bonnici this evening accused the government of indiscriminately and unjustly stripping people of social benefits in an attempt to save money while it squandered millions on a select few.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici was speaking during the debate on the financial estimates of the Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity.
She spoke about the case of an individual who suffers from acute depression who had his social benefits stopped after someone reported seeing him lifting a box in front of his home. This person was even asked to refund the benefits he was given in previous months. An arbiter later ruled that the government’s decision was wrong. “This person was lucky to have someone to help him, but what about those who are not so lucky. This is nothing but an attempt by the government to save money,” Dr Bonnici said, insisting that the government should not stop any social benefits unless it had a good reason to back its decision up and only after it gave the concerned individuals the chance to explain themselves.
The PN MP said another injustice had been carried out when the government decided to increase rent for social housing. “The government is lying when it says the PN had increased the rents. The PN had decided not to tax the poor.” She said that the government had, after three years, realised its mistake and announced it would revert prices back to 2013 levels.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici said there was a record of 3,300 applications for social housing. “Instead of reducing the list the government seems instead of increasing it.”
She accused the government of trying to mislead with numbers, insisting that what people wanted was to live a decent life through facts, not figures. The shadow minister said the budget failed to address the middle class and the business community and was full of recycled measures. “The government has been going on about how this has been a social budget. If anything this proves that it had previously done nothing for the needy.”
She said poverty among the elderly had increased and measures on pensions were not enough. Dr Mifsud Bonnici said not all pensioners would get a tax reduction. There were many who already did not pay tax and still could not make ends meet.
The announced €2.25 supplementary increase was not enough to pull them out of poverty. Besides, this will only be given to married pensioners while those who are single have been forgotten.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the government had only allocated €300,000 to help some 41,000 people buy food. This amounted to some 61 cents each. On the other hand it had found millions to give to people like Gaffarena and the former owners of Café Premier.
PN MP Robert Cutajar said that the Prime Minister, soon after the release of the Caritas report, said it proved government success. But the number of those at risk of poverty is rising, “to the contrary of what the Prime Minister said- that people today are better off”. He criticised the government on a number of aspects, including meals on wheels turning to providing cold meals rather than warm meals.
Turning to St Vincent de Paule, he said there are major concerns. “We heard of a case in front of the Ombudsman regarding injustice and discrimination, yet the ministry does not investigate”.
He said that one hears about work ongoing at St Vincent de Paule, but showed an image, with dripping air conditioners, buckets catching the water.
Turning to precarious work, he said it is not mentioned in the budget. He showed a couple of photos of beds in halls being used by workers working at St Vincent de Paule instead of going home to rest.
Turning to medicines for the elderly, he mentioned one woman spending €160 every six weeks for medication. “Is this right?” He also said that elderly persons walk from San Gwann to Mater Dei due to the traffic and fear of losing their appointments.
Independent MP Marlene Farrugia said the country was creating a new form of social poverty. While it was good to provide childcare facilities, men and women were working very long hours, with the result that children were growing up in front of a TV or computer, lacking necessary social skills. This situation was being made worse by the lack of recreational areas.
Dr Farrugia said the €4 increase for people who earn a minimum wage was simply not enough – it barely covers the parking fee at Mater Dei.
She insisted that many situations were ignored in the budget. The government, Dr Farrugia said, had forgotten the workers who were forced to carry out precarious jobs, and the victims of domestic violence who cannot afford leaving their matrimonial home among others.
On social housing Dr Farrugia said the government should introduce a rent-to-buy scheme. Having more than 3,000 people on the waiting list was shameful, she said.