PN proposes €650 annual pension increase, free home doctor service in major package for elderly
The Nationalist Party has announced an extensive package of proposals aimed at improving the lives of elderly people and pensioners, with the main proposals including a guaranteed annual pension increase of at least €650 and a new free family doctor service for seniors in their homes.
Speaking during a press conference on Monday, PN leader Alex Borg said that the proposals were intended to ensure elderly people live “with absolute dignity” while continuing to contribute to society through their experience and wisdom.
Borg referred to previous Nationalist administrations’ investment in services for elderly people, including home help services, nurse-at-home schemes, the POYC medicine distribution system, Telecare and Meals on Wheels.
Borg continued by saying that elderly people should never be treated as “an afterthought” but rather as a national priority.
“Our elderly built our families, Malta and Gozo. They made great sacrifices so that we could reach where we are today. We have a duty as a country to support them, strengthen them and ensure they continue living with dignity,” Borg said.
Borg said that conversations with elderly people across the country had shown him how eager they remain to stay informed and engaged in national life, despite the financial and health pressures many face.
The package announced by the PN focuses on two main pillars – stronger financial assistance and improved healthcare services for elderly people.
One of the most significant proposals announced by election candidate Graham Bencini concerns elderly residents living in government care homes.
Under the proposal, the amount currently retained by the State from a resident’s income would be reduced from a maximum of 80% to no more than 50%.
Bencini said that the change would allow elderly residents to keep at least half their income for personal expenses, family support and maintaining their independence and dignity.
The PN also pledged stronger financial support for elderly people living in private care homes. The party said it would increase the tax credit currently available from €4,500 to €7,000.
Another major proposal is a guaranteed annual pension increase of at least €650 every year. The PN said the increase would be permanent, annual and not introduced as a one-off measure.
Bencini also announced substantial increases in annual grants for elderly people who continue living independently in their own homes.
Under the proposal, elderly people aged 80 and over would receive €1,050 annually instead of the current €525. Those aged between 75 and 79 would receive €850 instead of €425.
A completely new category would also be introduced for elderly people aged between 70 and 74, who currently receive no grant. Under the PN proposal, they would receive €500 annually.
The PN also announced changes to Personal Retirement Schemes. The annual limit would increase from €3,000 to €4,000, while the existing 25% tax credit would continue to apply.
This would increase the maximum tax credit from €750 to €1,000 annually.
Another proposal targets people who have spent years inside the home to raise families.
The PN said it would double the annual grant for these individuals to €2,000 per year.
Election candidate Paula Mifsud Bonnici announced that a future Nationalist government would introduce a free family doctor service for elderly people in their own homes.
Elderly residents would be able to register with the doctor of their choice, while follow-up appointments and home visits would form part of the care plan.
The PN also pledged to introduce a nationwide system whereby medicines are delivered directly to elderly people’s homes free of charge.
The proposal would cover all prescribed medicines and is intended particularly for elderly people with limited mobility or without access to transport.
The party said that the system would be introduced within the first year of a Nationalist administration.
Mifsud Bonnici also announced plans for a structured pre-retirement training programme designed to help workers prepare for retirement.
The programme would begin two years before retirement and would include financial planning, health and wellbeing guidance, volunteering opportunities, creative activities and digital literacy training.
She said around 5,000 workers retire every year and all would be eligible to participate voluntarily in the programme.
Another proposal announced by Mifsud Bonnici focused on grandparents who regularly care for their grandchildren while parents are at work.
She said thousands of grandparents in Malta currently dedicate up to 40 hours a week to caring for grandchildren.
Under the PN proposal, grandparents caring for children under the age of three would receive a direct pension supplement of up to €2,000 annually for every child they look after.
The scheme would operate alongside the existing free childcare system, allowing parents to freely choose the arrangement that best suits their family.
Borg concluded by emphasising on how this package forms part of a broader strategy aimed at responding to Malta’s ageing population while ensuring elderly people receive stronger financial support, better healthcare access and a higher quality of life.
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