At the end of this week, roughly 50,000 elderly people will benefit from a total of €19.2 million as they receive another two social benefits. These benefits are bonuses to those, aged 75 and above, who haven’t paid enough in contributions to benefit from pensions and grants.

12,626 people who don’t qualify for this contributory pension will receive the bonus with an increase of €50 over last year. Thus, those who contributed for 4 years will receive €450, while those who contributed for between 5 and 9 years will receive €550.

The government will invest €6.2 million, and this will be the fifth increase in the bonus since it started in 2015 under this administration, with the expenditure increasing four times more compared to 2015.

Through changes made since 2020, a person can now benefit from this bonus while also qualifying for the grant that is given to them upon turning 75. These details were announced during a news conference by the Minister for Social Policy and Children's Rights Michael Falzon and by the Permanent Secretary within the Ministry Mark Musù.

Falzon said that these two payments are testimony to how much this government cares for pensioners, who every year enjoy many financial benefits. "All the pensioners know where they stand with this government because it has a clear plan on how it can continue to enhance the quality of life of every pensioner," said Falzon.

Musù spoke about another payment that will be arriving at the end of the week, namely the grant for citizens who are 75 years old or older. These payments will be received by 37,208 elderly people who live in their own homes or together with relatives, as well as those elderly people who pay out of pocket to live in private care homes.

Those aged between 75 and 79 receive €300 per year while those aged 80 or over receive €400 per year.

People who turn 75 during the year will also be eligible, but their payment will be pro-rata depending on when they turn the respective age. From 2024 onwards, they will receive the grant in full.

In total, this week's payments total almost €13 million. This sum will continue to increase throughout the year, both due to new beneficiaries and to the fact that those who turn 80 start being paid more.

"We should be proud of these results and committed to continue translating the people's trust into more benefits and stronger measures. We always talk about how we will increase these benefits, with the ultimate goal being to strengthen everyone’s quality of life," concluded Falzon.