Pressure to pass the dependency law reform: "Our dignity and future are at stake"

Barcelona"Now or never." About twenty social and citizen entities are demanding that the reform of the dependency law currently being processed in Congress be accelerated so that it is approved before the end of the legislature, fearing that in the next one, the balance of power in the chamber will shift in a way that makes it impossible to maintain the positive, but "insufficient," spirit that exists now. The associations have gathered under the acronym of the Platform for Autonomy and Dignified Life to demand that the right to care at all life stages and the recognition of caregivers, whether professional or family, be left "outside of political negotiations."

In 2024, Congress gave the green light to the reform of the dependency law – the result of combining the laws on disability and dependency – and for the Platform, it is moving in the right direction of putting "the person at the center" and recognizing the right to remain in one's home and have dignified care. "It goes beyond a place in a residence," said Aurora Huerga, head of the CCOO retirees federation, at a press conference.

But despite the reform process moving forward, the Platform insisted this Wednesday that "now is the time" to "pressure" deputies so that they do not slow down the process and are able to finalize the new legislative framework, which, for the first time, automatically establishes a degree of dependency for anyone who has a 33% disability recognized.

Now, disability and dependency degrees are independent, and one can have a disability without a dependency degree and vice versa. Josep Salas, from Marea de Pensionistas, has encouraged society "to get involved" actively so that the reform does not stagnate. "Our lives, dignity, and future are at stake," he assured.

For the platform, it is essential that the law does not repeat the same mistakes made twenty years ago with the dependency law, which was born underfunded and has accumulated waiting lists of over a year to access public services.

Every day, about thirty Catalans die waiting for a public residence place or to receive a pension. Therefore, they demand that investment in dependency increase from the current 0.4% of GDP to 2% with the aim of reversing the deficit accumulated by the cuts of more than 5 billion euros made between 2012 and 2018, according to María José Carcelén from the Coordinator of Families of Residences 5+1.

More tele-assistance

Among the novelties contained in the reform, there is the recognition of telecare as a universal right for all dependent people, the right of each user to decide on the benefits and services they receive, the extension of benefits to caregivers, neighbors and friends (not just family) so they can care for the beneficiary of the law, and the elimination of the waiting period that exempts the administration from paying the benefit if the wait lasts for two years.

Precisely, the Cura Plan that the Generalitat has presented this week follows this line, but for Carcelén, neither the simplification of administrative acts for grade assessment nor the designation of the benefit in just sixty days "solves the problem", as the program does not address the waiting lists for residences nor does it venture to modify the home care service.

"Public residences with public management are needed," insisted Salas. For the activist, the 200 euros that are planned to be paid to people with grade III who are waiting for a residence is completely insufficient, considering that "a private room in Barcelona costs an average of 2,400 euros".