Abela vows pension boost and more benefits for the elderly

Prime Minister Robert Abela has pledged to address pension disparities affecting people born before 1962 by 2028, increase grants for elderly people and expand active ageing services.

Speaking at a Labour Party campaign event in Għaxaq on Monday evening, Abela said elderly people had worked hard for the country and should now benefit from the wealth being generated by the economy.

He said a process that started in 2024 to address what it describes as an injustice between pensioners born before and after 1962 would be completed by 2028.

By then, all those affected would have been addressed and the highest pensionable income would be the same for all pensioners, irrespective of when they were born.

“Be with me on May 30 and I will work with all my strength to fix all the damage caused by the Nationalist Party,” he said.

He also clarified that Labour’s previously announced pension pledge would mean pensioners receive at least €50 more a week over five years, inclusive of COLA.

“I said at least €50,” he said. “Many of you will receive more than a €50 a week increase.”

He also pledged that the bonus given to people who paid social security contributions but did not qualify for a pension would start increasing annually in line with the cost-of-living adjustment.

The Grant for Senior Citizens aged over 75 will rise by another €200, while government assistance for elderly people who employ a live-in carer will increase from €9,000 to the equivalent of the national minimum wage, or almost €11,000.

Abela said this would mean around €2,000 more per year for families and elderly people relying on live-in care.

People aged over 80 who live alone would be given a smart wearable device to help monitor their health and provide peace of mind.

The device would flag signs of rapid deterioration, measure hydration levels and heart rate, and remind users when to take their medication. In emergencies, it would allow action to be taken immediately.

Abela said the measure was intended to ensure elderly people living alone could be monitored around the clock and receive help quickly when needed.

He also pledged further investment in Centres for Active Ageing, which offer elderly people opportunities to remain physically, mentally and socially active.

A new Labour government would invest more resources to extend the days on which those centres open, vary the activities offered and open more centres across the country, he said.

During his speech, Abela mentioned Żabbar and Dingli as among the localities where new active ageing centres would be opened.

The free transport service for elderly people, Silver T, would be expanded to other times of the day and would include trips beyond the boundaries of a person’s locality.

Abela said the aim was to make the service more flexible for elderly people, saying it should be available “at the time you want”.

The Labour leader also referred to widows and widowers, saying they should find support from the state “in the most difficult time of their lives”, rather than seeing their income reduced.

He said Labour had already pledged to complete the reform of widows’ pensions by 2027, so that widows would begin receiving the full pension of their deceased spouse from next year.

Abela also said women who had been prevented from working in the past had lost income and pension entitlement as a result. He said women over retirement age would also begin receiving COLA increases from next year.

The Labour leader framed the proposals as part of the party’s campaign slogan, “miegħek f’kull pass tal-ħajja”, saying a new Labour government would support people at every stage of life.

He referred to previously announced pledges, including a €5,000 birth bonus for every child, with €3,000 paid during the seventh month of pregnancy and the rest after birth.

He also pointed to Labour’s pledge to increase maternity leave to 26 weeks, double paternity leave to one month and introduce a new six-month parental leave, fully paid by the government.

Abela also repeated Labour’s housing proposal, dubbed “My First Home”, which would give first-time buyers over the age of 23 an interest-free loan covering up to 25% of the value of their first property.

Under that scheme, a single buyer earning under €40,000 would be eligible on a property worth up to €300,000, while couples earning up to €60,000 between them would be eligible on a property worth up to €350,000. Abela has said the measure would save single buyers up to €65,000 in interest and couples up to €75,000.

He also referred to Labour’s annual €1,000 “super bonus”, which would be paid to all workers who have lived in Malta for five years, including self-employed people, part-timers and pensioners who work. The bonus would not be taxed and would be paid directly into people’s bank accounts.

Much of Abela’s speech contrasted Labour’s economic record with what he described as the Nationalist Party’s lack of economic competence.

He said Malta had built “wide prosperity” despite global challenges and compared the country’s performance with neighbouring regions such as Sicily and Calabria, where he said young people and families faced poverty and unemployment.

Abela said the difference was that, in those places, people were often left to face challenges on their own, while Labour had chosen to protect families from austerity and global shocks.

He said that before 2013 Malta had also lived through austerity politics, but voters had then chosen a movement that believed in them and their aspirations.

Since then, he said, Labour had reduced utility bills, introduced free childcare, increased pensions and cut taxes, despite warnings from what he called “the forces of darkness” that those measures would bankrupt the country.

He said Malta now had one of the most productive economies per capita in the EU, record employment and had reduced the deficit to 3% while still helping families.

“For every cent we invested in you, you made it a euro,” he said, describing Maltese and Gozitan workers as among the hardest-working people.

Abela also attacked the Nationalist Party’s proposals on foreign workers, saying the Opposition criticised overpopulation while also proposing to reduce costs for employers bringing in foreign workers and give €1,200 to every foreign worker who sets foot in Malta.

He also mocked the PN’s economic plans, referring to its proposal for an offshore fuel hub off Hurd’s Bank, and contrasted that with a €150 million medtech investment by Vantive which he said would create 250 jobs.

Abela warned Labour supporters not to believe “propaganda” or claims that the election was already won.

“Every election starts 0-0,” he reiterated, calling the campaign "the biggest challenge faced by an elected party in Malta."

He said Labour had a costed, actionable programme which could be implemented in full, and appealed for a renewed mandate to keep supporting people throughout their lives.