The Cortes of Castilla-La Mancha have given this Thursday their approval to a new dependency law promoted by the PSOE, which provides for a 20% increase in financial aid for people in a situation of dependency and an upward review of the prices of care services. The vote has been marked by criticisms from the PP, which considers the measures insufficient, and from Vox, which demands that these benefits be reserved only for Spanish families.
The rule, backed by the socialist group and with the abstention of PP and Vox, will enter into force on January 1, 2027 and will entail an additional injection of more than 32 million euros.
Socialist deputy Pablo Camacho has defended that the reform seeks to raise the quality of life of people with dependencies and to consolidate the regional system, which currently serves more than 82,000 beneficiaries and provides 120,000 benefits.
He has underlined that the budget allocated to dependency has gone from 372 million in 2015 to nearly 700 million today.
The new law provides for a 20% increase in the maximum and minimum amounts of the financial benefits. As an example, Camacho has mentioned the personal assistance allowance, which will rise from 822 to 986 euros.
Likewise, the reference costs for residential services, day centers, and personal autonomy promotion programs will be reviewed.
The regulations also set increases in the prices of social concert arrangements, with rises of 16.7% for residential places of grade III, of 11.1% for those of grade II, and of 34.6% in day centers.
Camacho has defended that these updates will make it possible to align public funding with the real costs of the resources and ensure their economic viability.
From the PP, José Martín-Buro has said that the initiative “falls very short” and has accused the regional executive of turning dependency into a propaganda tool.
He has denounced budget cuts and poor budget execution, warning that raising the amounts is not enough if sufficient staff, available resources, and an administration capable of responding with agility are not guaranteed.
For his part, David Moreno, of Vox, has reproached that processing by single reading has prevented amendments from being submitted and has reiterated his position that the aid be limited to Spanish families.
The Councillor for Social Welfare, Bárbara García, has thanked the proposal from the Socialist group and has defended that Castilla-La Mancha is at the forefront in dependency management.
At the same time, she has reminded the PP of the cuts applied during the Government of María Dolores de Cospedal and has called on the opposition to recognize the progress achieved in the regional system.
Yolanda Valdeolivas, candidate to the Constitutional Court
Before this debate, the Cortes of Castilla-La Mancha have given the go-ahead to the candidacy of Yolanda Valdeolivas García as a magistrate of the Constitutional Court, proposed by the PSOE for submission to the Senate.
The proposal has moved forward with 17 votes in favor and 12 blank ballots, thus being designated as Castilla-La Mancha’s candidate to the High Court.