Carer scheme anomaly

Through the Carer at Home scheme, the government financially supports those senior citizens who employ a carer of their choice to assist them in their daily needs, while still living in the comfort of their homes.

Last year, my father was getting weaker and weaker, so, together with my sister and brother, we managed to apply for the services of a full-time carer under this scheme.

We downloaded all the documents and filed the necessary papers. Within a short time, the Filipino carer arrived. She was a great help, night and day. She assisted our father while the three of us took turns to provide support and help 24/7.

All documents were signed and payments made. Our application was approved by the department on May 4, 2020. After four weeks from when the carer moved in, dad was hospitalised and passed away within a week.

The carer received the notice to go to Identity Malta on June 4 and dad died on June 12, 2020. When we applied for the 40 per cent subsidy, we were told that this is calculated from the date issued by Identity Malta and not when the official contract was signed. Payments and all obligations were fulfilled from the first day the carer moved in. This anomaly is unjust. 

It is not the first time we read articles regarding the time Identity Malta takes to issue/renew permits of foreigners working in Malta. Our carer has been living in Malta for these last two years and, before she moved in with my family, she was caring for an elderly person in Malta. When the latter died, she came over as assistance to my father.

All is clear... there are no irregularities and, yet, we are penalised because Identity Malta took over a month to renew her permit.

I think that other families are experiencing this unjust situation. I hope that this matter is regularised and the 40 per cent subsidy be based from the date on the official contract and according to the payments issued. 

Let goodwill prevail as long as all official documents serve as evidence, written black on white.

Marica Cremona – Victoria

From the online comments board

Gozo losing its beauty

Interesting article by Noel Formosa but there are arguments that are not making sense. The mayor says that residents are losing out and “It boils down to this: land is being taken up by greedy developers not to benefit local communities but to make more and more money no matter what. This makes it next to impossible for new families to acquire a house in their community.”

And who is selling this land and houses within the communities to these greedy developers if not the probable Gozitan owners themselves within certain localities?

Gozitans have become accustomed to cry ‘wolf’ after they have reaped ‘easy money’, hoping the government financially assists them finding a residence within communities they are ruining by selling their property!

The situation is one of greed that is obvious every time one ventures to Gozo – old houses within communities ripped down to be turned into flatlet monstrosities. Surely, those who owned the houses in the first place are Gozitans in their majority!

Have local councils consistently safeguarded UCAs within their communities? Have the councils insisted with MEPA to assist in that regard? Have the councils resisted/declined approval of development within UCAs that jars when compared with the safeguarding of the localities?

I augur that the Gozitans and the mayors play a very important role in conserving their localities and making sure UCAs are really held in high esteem. The rest of the countryside is to be wrestled out of the clutches of greedy developers. Here,  the councils need MEPA assistance but they must prepare themselves to ‘fight it out’ for real.

Within the communities, the councils are the guardians of the UCAs and owners of dwellings they want to sell. But within the UCA then the councils are to make sure they are built to respect policies that regulate UCAs! The old adage “nibnu għal uliedna u ngħixu fil-kommunità” has no meaning any more as the free-for-all sell-and-build spree and disregard to what is appealing within communities is only given ‘lip service’.

Gozitans need to start by truly believing there is beauty within the communities and not just easy money. – Joe Micallef

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