Labour is the party with new ideas for the future, Robert Abela says in Għaxaq.

Prime Minister and Labour Leader Robert Abela used his address in Għaxaq to announce a fresh set of measures focused on elderly persons, independent living and dignity in retirement, while also placing them within Labour’s wider programme for workers, families, youths and homeowners.

The new measures announced include:

•⁠  ⁠Addressing the injustice between pensioners born before and after 1962, with the process started in 2024 to be completed by 2028, so that the highest pensionable income will be the same for all pensioners, irrespective of when they were born.

•⁠  ⁠The bonus for those who paid social security contributions but not enough to qualify for a pension will start increasing annually with COLA.

•⁠  ⁠The Grant for Senior Citizens aged over 75 who still live in their own residence, will increase by another €200.

•⁠  ⁠Government assistance for elderly persons with a live-in carer will increase from €9,000 to the equivalent of the national minimum wage, or almost €11,000.

•⁠  ⁠Smart wearable devices will be given to elderly persons over 80 who live alone, allowing their health to be monitored and enabling immediate action in case of emergency. These devices will detect signs of rapid health deterioration, measure hydration levels and heart rate, and remind users when to take their medication.

•⁠  ⁠Active Ageing Centres will be further strengthened, with longer opening days, more varied activities and more centres opened across the country (from Żabbar to Dingli)

•⁠  ⁠The free Silver-T transport service for elderly persons will be expanded, with trips offered during more periods of the day and beyond locality boundaries.

“At the same time, it is becoming clear that ours is the party with the new ideas for the future,” Abela told those present, as he argued that Labour’s proposals are designed to reach people at every stage of life.

Robert Abela said the campaign is confirming one thing above all: that Malta has a people capable of building broad prosperity even in difficult circumstances. He contrasted Malta’s situation with neighbouring regions facing serious economic and social challenges, arguing that Malta chose a different path in 2013 when it rejected austerity and opted for investment in people.

Abela said that measures once described as impossible were delivered under Labour, including lower utility bills, free childcare, pension increases and tax cuts. Today, he noted, Malta is the eighth most productive economy per capita in Europe, has the strongest employment rate in Europe’s history, and has reduced the deficit below 3% earlier than agreed with the European Commission.

He said this success now allows Labour to focus more directly on the individual challenges people face in their daily lives. That, he said, is the meaning behind the campaign message “with you every step of the way”.

The Prime Minister also referred to measures already announced for young people and workers, including the Kickstart programme, through which young people starting their career or launching a business would pay no tax on the first €30,000 of income, and the €1,000 yearly super bonus for every Maltese and Gozitan worker, paid every year and free from tax.

On housing, Abela again highlighted My First Home, through which Government would help finance 25% of a first property interest-free, and Our Next Home, aimed at families who need to move into a larger property. He also referred to measures for separated or divorced persons, elderly persons wishing to downsize and pass on their home to their children or grandchildren, and people transferring property to their children to help them become homeowners.

For families, Abela mentioned proposals to increase maternity leave to six months, paternity leave to one month, introduce six months of parental leave, and provide 28 additional days of paid leave in the child’s second year.

But the strongest focus of the evening was on elderly persons. Abela said that those who built Malta deserve security, dignity and peace of mind in retirement. He repeated that Labour’s pledge of a €50 weekly pension increase means “at least” €50, because many pensioners will in fact, benefit from more.

This includes those born in 1962 or before, with Labour committing to continue correcting the gap created between different groups of pensioners. Widows will also receive the full pension of their late spouse, together with 20% of the pension that used to be taken under previous administrations.

Abela also referred to women who lost pension rights after being pushed out of work, saying they would be able to benefit from surplus contributions paid by their husbands and qualify for their own pension.

The latest measures announced in Għaxaq build on that same direction: more support for elderly persons living at home, more help for those with care needs, more active ageing opportunities, better transport, and technology that gives peace of mind to elderly persons and their families.

Abela ended with an appeal for trust on the 30th May, insisting that Labour has a serious, measured and deliverable plan. His message was that Malta’s progress means most when it reaches the people who work, raise families and retire in it — and that this is where Labour’s “new ideas for the future” are being placed.