Health Services

•A further increase in health expenditure of €38 million, to a total of €465 m.

•Extension of Pharmacy of Your Choice in order to cover remaining localities over next two years

•Roll out of IVF services in favour of eligible couples.

•Continuation of Oncology Centre works

•Increase in 6% on excise duty on cigarettes and 8% on tobacco

The social sector

•Expenditure on social benefits increases to €787 million, an increase of €37 million.

•All social benefits will increase by the COLA amount, ensuring that around 112,000 persons do not lose out on any benefits.

•Energy benefit: Gas price allowance to increase from €30 to €40.

•Since 2007, Government provided over €22.6 million in energy support benefits.

Pensions Reform

•Continuation of pension reform: contribution credits will be provided to parents born between 1.1.52 and 31.12.61 that quit their job to raise their children. Since these parents will experience an increase in the number of contributory years from 30 to 35, they will benefit proportionally as those parents born after 1.1.1962

•These parents will benefit from credited contributions for every child, and in case of children with disability will receive two years ‘contributions should the parent (mother or father) had quit their job to raise their children and eventually returned to work as is the case for parents born after 1.1.1962.

•More forms of disability will be eligible for this pension.

•Introduction of one mechanism to determine whether a person qualifies for the Special Disability Card or for registration with disability register at ETC

•Two married people with a disability that got married before Jan 2007 will be entitled to same pension as those who got married after that date

Children

•Setting up of residential home to avoid separating siblings at cost of €300,000.

•Establishment of therapeutic facility that offers security to children with behavioural problems (€400,000.)

•Support programme for youths exiting residential care in terms of provision of temporary / permanent residence and assistance in this transitional phase

•Opening of 2 Accessi, in Gozo and Birkirkara €200,000.

Persons with disability

•Tax reduction for persons with a disability paying fees for residency services in respite centres. This benefit applies to parents if they are responsible of such payment. Max deduction of €2500.

•Residence for persons with a disability with voluntary sector in Gozo.

•Extension of work scheme with local councils to cover NGOs and other Government entities to create 150 more jobs for persons with a disability, 50 of which in Gozo.

Voluntary work

•Introduction of stipend for young people aged up to 25 or for those who up to three years after graduating from tertiary education spend a year performing voluntary work with a €600,000 vote.

•SSC credits for young people performing voluntary work in Malta or abroad. These credits will cover a period not exceeding 5 years since their return to the job market for more than five years.

•NGOs conforming with the NGO Act (2007) will be tax exempt

•Vote of €70,000 to the Council for the Voluntary Sector to support NGOs in performing a number of projects in their area and scope of action

First-time Buyers

•First three hundred applicants will qualify for subsidised 2.5% interest rate on bank loan for First 8 years. These will receive up to €14,000 in subsidy.

Elderly

•€300 allowance announced last year for persons aged 80+ is extended to those aged 78+ and eventually to those aged 75+. 1.5 million euro vote per year.

•Full COLA increase to the elderly

•More investment in Elderly Homes through conversion of Casa Flamini in Paola

•Revision of Supplementary Assistance for those aged 65+ in cases where household income is below the risk-of-poverty threshold, to ensure that this category is covered by a higher Supplementary Allowance

Pensions

•Service Pension initiative is continued through a further increase of 200 euro in the exempted amount. In total the exempted amount as now reached €1,266 per year.

•Extension of Pensjoni tal-Wens to those not covered by this pension due means test as well as to those leaving the job market and qualifying for social assistance.