Autism is to be considered eligible for invalidity pension once a proper tool for its assessment and its affect on employability is established, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced.

The so-called Barthel index, which is used to gauge the level of disability did not cover autism, but this condition could also be such that it prevented people from working, he said.

Therefore, the government will be evaluating the possibility to introduce new gauging tools for other disabilities, including autism

He was speaking in Parliament about the Budget, referring to various points which were not brought up last week as scheduled because of the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

He highlighted that there were now 2,900 people with disability working, compared with 1,750 in 2013.

However, he noted that there were some people with disabilities that were so serious that they would not be able to work “by any stretch of the imagination”. The government had said that these should have benefits equal to minimum wage, with the increases being given incrementally. Next year, the rate would be increased by €20 to €140 a week, meaning that the benefits would be two-thirds the minimum wage.

The government had said that these should have benefits equal to the minimum wage, with the increases being given incrementally. Next year, the rate would be increased by €20 to €140 a week, meaning that the benefits would be two-thirds the minimum wage.

He also announced that as from next year, anyone with terminal illness would get an invalidity pension in full – irrespective of how many social security contributions they had paid, which would mean up to €150 a week.

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