Abela pledges fresh start with first-time buyer status for separated, divorced couples<\/p>\n
Separated or divorced couples will be treated as if they were first-time buyers under a new proposal, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced, extending key housing benefits, including stamp duty exemptions, to those seeking to start a new chapter after a relationship breakdown.<\/p>\n
Addressing a political activity in Siġġiewi on Tuesday, Abela said that the measure builds on existing support schemes and is intended to ensure that individuals who have gone through separation are not left to face the financial burden of starting over on their own.<\/p>\n
He said that, just as the government had supported separated and divorced individuals through the equity sharing scheme in previous years, the Our Next Home<\/i> scheme will now also be opened to them.<\/p>\n
“Those who want to start a new life because their relationship has faced difficulties will not be alone,” Abela said, adding that those individuals will once again be considered first-time buyers and will be exempt from paying stamp duty on the purchase of property.<\/p>\n
In a second proposal, Abela pledged that government would extend financial support for patients travelling abroad for medical treatment to also cover the cost of an accompanying person in the case of adult patients.<\/p>\n
He said that while the government already covers expenses for patients and, in the case of minors, both parents, questions had been raised about whether similar support could be provided for adults requiring assistance.<\/p>\n
“If the people support this movement in the upcoming election, this will be one of the first changes we introduce,” he said, adding that Malta must be there for its people when they need it most, with these additional expenses also set to be covered.<\/p>\n
Abela said that these proposals form part of a broader vision to improve quality of life, supported by a strong economy.<\/p>\n
“For more than a week we have been explaining our vision for Malta and Gozo, so that your lives become easier, more beautiful and better,” he said, adding that the party’s electoral programme is aimed at achieving a 25% improvement in wellbeing through a newly introduced wellbeing index.<\/p>\n
He said the country’s “strong economic engine” is designed not only to increase income but also to improve quality of life and provide support “at every step of life.”<\/p>\n
Among the proposals he reiterated were increases in family benefits, including a rise in childbirth assistance from €1,000 to €5,000, with €3,000 to be given during pregnancy and a further €2,000 upon birth.<\/p>\n
He also spoke of the expanded parental leave measures, including maternity leave extending to 26 weeks, six months of fully paid parental leave, and an additional paid leave of 28 days in the second year of a child’s life.<\/p>\n
“You can choose how to share the leave within the family,” he said, adding that paternity leave would also be doubled.<\/p>\n
On youth measures, Abela said that those entering the workforce would not pay income tax on the first €30,000 earned annually for the first three years of full-time employment.<\/p>\n
“We are giving young people a strong start in life,” he said.<\/p>\n
He also spoke of extensions to housing schemes, including the My First Home scheme, which would continue to support deposits and allow the government to co-invest in up to a quarter of a property’s value.<\/p>\n
On social policy, Abela said the government will fully cover therapy costs for children with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions.<\/p>\n
“We do not want anyone to fall behind, and we want children to reach their full potential, while recognising the burden already carried by parents,” he said.<\/p>\n
Abela added that the government’s strong finances would allow such measures to be sustained.<\/p>\n
“Do not worry about the money, we will find it from Malta’s strong financial position and the strongest economic engine we have built in Europe,” he said.<\/p>\n
Abela also announced plans to introduce more flexible working arrangements, including remote working, flexitime and compressed work weeks, with a €1,000 incentive for employers who adopt such practices for each of their employees.<\/p>\n
He said that further investment would be made in education and skills, including a 15% increase in stipends, a €1,000 grant for Erasmus students, and savings of €500 per year for students, accumulating to €5,000 by the end of their studies.<\/p>\n
Abela said that additional study leave is also being proposed, currently at two days per year, which he said there are plans for it to increase to ten days per year.<\/p>\n
Turning to pensions, Abela spoke of the €50 weekly increase promise, and reiterated that pensioners would not pay income tax on their pensions.<\/p>\n
He added that pensioners who continue working would also benefit from the “super bonus.”<\/p>\n
Abela also said that the “super bonus” announced on Monday for all workers, which is a €1,000 yearly bonus, would not be taxable, and would apply to all workers, including part-time and self-employed individuals.<\/p>\n
The Prime Minister said that parents earning less than the minimum wage will receive a further €250 increase in their children’s allowance, on top of increases already granted during the legislature, Abela said.<\/p>\n
He added that the in-work benefit would also increase by €150, while single parents would receive an additional €200 increase.<\/p>\n
Abela contrasted his party’s proposals with what he described as “confusion” on the part of the Nationalist Party, particularly on issues such as subsidies and energy policy, arguing that the country requires “responsibility and maturity” in a sensitive geopolitical context.<\/p>\n
“This is one of the most important elections in our history. We offer clear direction and credibility in implementation,” Abela said.<\/p>\n
He urged voters to support Labour in the upcoming election, saying that continued economic growth would keep translating into tangible improvements in people’s daily lives.<\/p>\n
Labour candidates Alex Muscat and Jo Etienne Abela also addressed the political activity.<\/p>\n
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