The Spanish government announces "a refoundation of the care system"

Madrid"This July 14 will be remembered as the day our care system was refounded." Thus began the appearance of the Minister of Social Rights, Pablo Bustinduy, to give significance to a day on which two transcendental issues of the course system are approved: a decree is validated to ensure that the State contributes 50% of the funding for dependency; and also a reform of the law on disability and dependency so that care becomes a "universal right". Both votes are to take place this Tuesday afternoon in the Congress of Deputies. In fact, Bustinduy has compared the new legislation with the pension system established in the 20th century or access to universal education and healthcare.

As Bustinduy explained at a press conference, it is about "transitioning from a dependency system marked by precariousness and underfunding" to generating "rights for citizens so that there are the necessary supports for people to age in their homes with conditions of autonomy". To do this, he asserted that the funding provided by the State to the autonomous communities, which are responsible for providing this service, is "shielded by law". He quantified this historic contribution at a total of 6.2 billion euros for these 2026 and 2027. In fact, this Tuesday in the Council of Ministers, an additional funding of 904 million euros has been approved. To ensure that the autonomies allocate it to dependency, the minister detailed that this funding is earmarked and reimbursement will be conditional on compliance with a series of criteria. These resources, in any case, are not yet territorialized. According to ministry sources, it will be decided when the Territorial Council meets.

Legislative changes

On the other hand, the reform of the dependency and disability law is promoted to adapt the legislation to the recent modification of the Constitution (2024) in which the term "disabled" was eliminated for people with disabilities, with the idea that public powers protect personal autonomy and guarantee inclusion.

Among other things, the new regulation establishes a kind of gateway to equate situations of dependency and disability to avoid duplication of procedures, so that dependency level I will directly equate to 33% disability, while II and III up to 65%; it also highlights the end of incompatibilities between benefits; the recognition of the environment as caregivers and family conciliation measures; it gives special protection to minors and women; and it also includes in the home help service actions such as going to the doctor or shopping.

In this regard, the minister has called on all political parties in Congress to support it to show consensus on what he considers a social advance. He has not only appealed, therefore, to the plurinational majority, but has also asked the PP to subscribe to this Thursday's votes in Congress. He recalled that the autonomous communities have been demanding more funding for dependency for years — many are governed by the Popular Party — and that now they have the opportunity to guarantee the possibility of resources arriving from the State. "We have not only fulfilled by deeds," said Bustinduy, "we have also protected it by law." "The PP has no arguments not to subscribe to the new law," he concluded.