The Labour Party’s concrete and targeted proposals build on the party’s “social credentials” and aim to strengthen the quality of life of Maltese and Gozitan families, candidates Julia Farrugia and Carmelo Abela said in a press conference on Wednesday.

Julia Farrugia, who served as Minister for Inclusion in the last legislature, emphasised that disability must always be understood within its context — not as an isolated sector, but as a reality affecting entire families who carry significant responsibilities every day, with their lives organised around care and the ongoing needs of their children.

She reiterated several of the PL’s proposals thus far, including: free therapy for children with disability or neurdivergent conditions, five days of paid carers’ leave for parents, extension of fiscal treatment for parents of children with disabilities, an increase to the Carer’s Grant, an increase to the first-time buyers’ grant specifically for persons with severe disabilities, and water safety lessons for children aged between 3 and 5 who are on the autism spectrum.

Farrugia said that these measures together reflect a holistic approach that looks not only at services, but at quality of life, independence, and the dignity of persons with disabilities and their families.

Carmelo Abela, who was a backbench MP in the last legislature, stated that policy in the area of pensions and the elderly is aimed at strengthening dignity, financial security, and peace of mind for those who have spent their lives in the workforce.

He emphasised that a pension is not an abstract figure, but the primary income from which thousands of families live, and highlighted some of the PL’s proposals in this regard.

The party is offering a guarantee of pension increases which will total up to €50 per week by the end of the legislature, a system allowing the transfer of contributions between spouses, a reform of the widows’ pension, and a 20% increase in pensions for certain widows.

Abela explained that these measures together address both financial aspects and structural injustices that have developed over time, which he said the Government is working to correct in a concrete and sustainable manner.

Abela also recalled how the Nationalist Party treated pensions in the past, including periods when pensions were frozen, COLA was not fully given, and pensioners were taxed on their own pension.

“Looking at the full package of measures, one clear message emerges: the Labour Party is presenting a social policy built on continuity, experience, and implementation, with direct attention to the real lives of people,” the party said.

“These proposals are designed to provide greater security, greater fairness, and greater dignity for Maltese and Gozitan families.”