If there is one area where political priorities are measured not by slogans, but by the difference made in people’s daily lives, it is the social sector.

During a Labour Party press conference addressed by Minister for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector Julia Farrugia and MP Carmelo Abela, the party placed the focus on measures already announced by Prime Minister Robert Abela, several of which were among the very first proposals of the electoral campaign, showing the importance Labour continues to give to persons with disabilities, their families, pensioners and elderly persons.

The measures highlighted include:

– Full financing of therapy for children under 18 with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions

– Five days of paid carers’ leave for parents attending therapy or hospital appointments with their children

– Extension of the parental tax rate for parents of children with disabilities until age 23

– Continued parental tax rate for as long as care is needed in cases of severe disability

– Doubling of the Carer’s Grant for parents of children with severe disabilities, making it equivalent to the minimum wage

– Doubling of the first-time buyer grant from €10,000 to €20,000 for persons with severe disability

– A €50 weekly increase in pensions over the next legislature

– Transfer of up to five years of surplus social security contributions between couples

– Full pension of the deceased spouse for widows and widowers from next year

– A 20% pension increase for widows and widowers who lost their own pension entitlement

A social vision measured by people’s daily realities

Minister Farrugia said the party’s record in the disability sector reflects its social credentials and its consistent commitment to families who often face complex realities every day. She stressed that disability policy is not only about services, but about people’s lives.

When speaking about disability, she said, one is speaking about families, children, parents who organise their entire day around therapy sessions, medical appointments and continuous care, as well as persons who deserve more autonomy, more support and greater peace of mind.

Free therapy and paid carers’ leave for families

Among the key measures highlighted is the full financing of therapy for children under the age of 18 with disability or neurodivergent conditions. This includes occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and physiotherapy, services which many families currently have to shoulder at significant cost.

Parents of these children will also benefit from five days of paid carers’ leave when taking their children to therapy or hospital appointments.

This leave will be available in hours, giving families the flexibility they need to deal with real-life situations that do not always fit into a standard working week.

Tax support that recognises long-term care

Another measure will see parents of children with disability continue to pay tax at the parental rate until their children turn 23. In cases of severe disability, this support will remain in place for as long as parents continue caring for their children.

Minister Farrugia said this recognises that care responsibilities do not automatically end when a child turns 18, and in many cases continue well into adulthood.

A stronger Carer’s Grant and more independence

The Carer’s Grant for parents of children with severe disability will also be doubled, becoming equivalent to the minimum wage. This measure, Farrugia said, recognises more seriously the real weight of care carried by these families every day.

She also highlighted the proposal to double the first-time buyer grant for persons with severe disability purchasing their first home, from €10,000 to €20,000. Farrugia described this as one of the clearest examples of the dignity and independence Labour wants to continue giving persons with disability.

Taken together, she said, these measures are not isolated proposals, but a package designed to respond to different challenges faced by the same families at the same time: reducing direct costs, increasing flexibility, supporting care and improving quality of life.

Labour’s track record in disability rights

Minister Farrugia also placed the measures within the broader track record of Labour Governments in the disability sector, noting that key steps such as the national disability policy, national disability strategy and the legal framework needed to establish a focal point were introduced after 2013.

She also referred to support for assistance dogs and other reforms, arguing that Labour’s record remains its strongest certificate of credibility.

Pensions as dignity, not just income

MP Carmelo Abela then focused on another sector that directly affects the quality of life of thousands of families: elderly persons and pensioners.

He said that pensions are not abstract figures, but the main income of many people who worked throughout their lives and who now deserve peace of mind, dignity and the ability to enjoy life.

A €50 weekly increase for pensioners – Fairer contribution rules for couples

Abela highlighted the commitment that pensions will continue increasing every year under a Labour Government, with pensioners set to see a total increase of €50 per week over the next legislature, including cost-of-living adjustments.

He also pointed to a measure allowing couples to transfer up to five years of surplus paid social security contributions between them, helping the spouse who does not have enough contributions qualify for the minimum pension. This would also apply to those who have already paid the difference and who would still be able to transfer surplus contributions to improve their pension.

Abela said this measure addresses inequalities that can arise within the same family, particularly where one person had to reduce work or stop working for long periods.

Stronger protection for widows and widowers

He also highlighted the reform of the widows’ pension, through which widows and widowers will start receiving the full pension of their deceased spouse from next year. A further measure will support those who had a right to their own pension but lost it when they began receiving the widows’ pension, with their pension increasing by 20% as compensation.

These measures, Abela said, reflect higher income, greater justice between couples, stronger protection for widows and widowers, and action to address anomalies that affect everyday life.

Concrete measures rooted in credibility and delivery

The wider message from the press conference was clear: Labour is presenting a concrete social vision built on dignity, credibility and delivery. Something which cannot be said about others.

From persons with disabilities and their families to pensioners and widows, the emphasis is on measures that respond to real needs, strengthen independence and ensure that progress continues to reach those who need it most.