Abela promises yearly €1,000 allowance for young adults with disabilities

Adults with disabilities will get a yearly €1,000 allowance until they turn 23 to help with therapy costs if Labour is re-elected to government, Robert Abela said Tuesday.

In an event on the campaign trail in San Ġwann, the prime minister said this was the latest in a series of manifesto measures aimed at reaching everyone who needs help, especially people with disabilities.

The allowance would be given to those aged between 18 and 23.

"This allowance will help them invest in therapy, which has incredible effects even at that age. The aim is to reach everyone," he said.

"We are also establishing individual funds for every person with a disability and drafting personalised plans to ensure they receive both the therapy they need and the financial means to live with dignity."

The move builds on an earlier campaign promise for the state to fund all therapy costs for neurodivergent children until they turn 18.

The panel at the event also included two mothers, who spoke about the impact of the government's health policies on their lives.

Janice Sant, who recently became a mother through IVF, shared her struggle with genetic fertility issues that were identified in 2022.

"Thanks to the government’s IVF treatment offers, we went through the procedure, and now I’ve become a mother," she said.

She also shared how special last Sunday's Mother's Day celebration was to her and her family.

"For the first time I spent the day with my daughter, and for the first time I could tell other mothers 'happy mother's day' and hear them say it back," she said.

Occupational therapist Valerie Brincat, a mother of three adult children with autism, also spoke on the evolution of state support.

Comparing the current landscape to the birth of her eldest son 24 years ago, she said services have significantly improved, specifically through recent improvements in mental health services.