It was something of a mixed bag for Malta’s 24,000 disabled people.

Those receiving a severe disability pension will now be able to work and earn up to the minimum wage without forfeiting their disability pension. They will also hold on to their pension permanently if they get married, regardless of their spouse’s income.

But in what will come as a disappointment to a number of stakeholders, there was no increase in the severe disability pension to level it with the national minimum wage with the Budget saying that “the severe disability pension must not serve as a disincentive to work”.

Agency Sapport will receive a €1.5 million funding boost, allowing it to open a new branch in Pembroke to allow more disabled people to receive training and work experience.

The government has also decided to allocate €2 million over a five-year period to the task of developing the necessary structures to prevent the long-term severely disabled from becoming institutionalised.

This commitment comes on the back of a report by the National Commission for Disabled Persons, currently in consultation, which argues that the severely disabled have the right to enjoy an independent life. The report calls for the opening of 10 small residential units in the community every year.