Respite and day services financed by the State are among the points raised by the Forum for Organisations Providing Residential Care for Disabled People in the run-up to the election.

In most cases, the best option for disabled people is to live with their own family

The forum is made up of Dar Pirotta, Id-Dar tal-Providenza, Fondazzjoni Arka, Fondazzjoni Nazareth, Fondazzjoni għas-Servizzi ta’ Respite Care (Dar il-Kaptan) and Fondazzjoni Wens.

In its 12 proposals, the group addresses several issues but focuses on concerns about what happens to disabled people when their family cannot support them anymore.

It is aware that, in most cases, the best option for disabled people is to live with their own family while, at the same time, such families want their disabled relatives to live with them.

The forum therefore recommended that Aġenzija Sapport should be given the necessary funds to develop community services for disabled people, including respite.

These should be completely funded by the State and include planned and emergency respite, while community services should also offer the possibility that a disabled person gets funds to buy a service from private personal assistants.

Aware that, some disabled people will always want to live in small houses in the community, the forum urged the Government and the voluntary sector to open more houses in the community.

In the case of the disability pension, which is equivalent to 58 per cent of the national minimum wage, the forum believes that there should be two types of remuneration.

The current one should be given to people with severe disability but who can work while others that cannot work should get a higher pension.