60,000 out of 83,000 pensioners will not be getting anything out of Joseph Muscat’s budget, apart from the €1.75 COLA increase that everyone will receive, the PN said.
Addressing a press conference, Shadow Minister for Social Policy Paula Mifsud Bonnici said this showed how Dr Muscat was deceiving the elderly – giving them the impression that their pension had increased when in reality, three quarters of them would not get any increase, except for the COLA.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici said only those who had a contributory pension would be receiving €140 according to the social security paid. Those who are at risk of poverty will be no better off, she said.
The PN’s spokesman on the elderly, Robert Cutajar, expressed his disappointment at how Joseph Muscat was being hard headed on the Disability Hub, despite the negative reaction by disabled persons.
Mr Cutajar said these people wanted to form part of the community but the Prime Minister’s answer was to put them in an isolated complex.
He also spoke on the St Vincent De Paule residence and said the government should not let the situation there deteriorate. He referred to reports of discrimination between elderly persons staying at SVPR and those staying at other homes, and also mentioned the decrease in constant watches. As a result of the latter, more elderly people were tying themselves up to avoid falling out of bed during the night.
He also said the PN was concerned with the way the Agenzija Appogg was being led and said employees were facing uncertainty.
The PN’s spokesman on poverty, Stephen Spiteri, said the budget gave a lot to the few but a little to the many, including the 100,000 people who are at risk of poverty. The numbers were increasing but instead of taking decisions to improve their situation, the Prime Minister had completely ignored these people, Dr Spiteri said.
NSO figures, he said, showed that elderly people at risk of poverty had increased by 2,500. But the government’s adviser on poverty, PL Deputy Leader Toni Abela was receiving €70,000 a year from the government.