Further proof of how committed the government is to providing a better future for the children will be shown next Monday, Social Policy Minister Michael Falzon stated on Thursday, referring to Budget 2026.
Falzon said that the government believes in the potential of society as a whole, as he remarked that the government always has and continues to believe in the social soul of Malta.
He said that Malta and the government have succeeded in carrying out a "silent revolution in the social sector". He continued that Malta nowadays has "full employment, healthy pensions, and a better quality of life". He commented that the government remains committed, including in the upcoming Budget, to continue investing in families and in pensioners, as well as in the small pockets of society.
The minister remarked that every pensioner has increased by €72.40 per week when comparing 2025 to 2013, which he said is in addition to adjustments made to pensioners on the minimum pension in 2016 and 2017 with regard to additional increases. He also said that there were those who were born before 1962 with pensionable income exceeding the capping who received additional increases in 2024 and 2025.
Falzon spoke of how widows have also benefited from additional increases since 2022, so that by 2027, they will be receiving the full pension of their spouse. He added that persons who started receiving the pension after 2008 are also receiving adjustments in the cost-of-living bonus.
Permanent Secretary Mark Musu said that employment has continued to be strengthened, and added that dependency on social benefits has reduced. He said that the government brought together three strong policies, which include free childcare launched in 2014, the benefit tapering scheme, and the in-work benefit in 2015.
Musu said that the country is now spending almost €40 million less on social assistance in a year than it did twelve years ago due to the sharp reduction in social dependency, as he said that these were invested in benefits and other social measures which were more needed.
The Ministry for Social Policy and Children's Rights said that the in-work benefit is currently paid automatically to working parents who do not exceed a certain income, and added that it benefits around 25,000 families with almost 40,000 children under the age of 23. It stated that eligible parents have received around €88 million in eleven years.