We work, on a political level, to soon arrive at a discussion table, beyond position statements and public demonstrations. «We continue our battle to support disabled people and their families to have 10 million euros available which is 0.03% of the Lombardy Region budget. It’s money that’s needed.”
This is the commitment made by the Democratic Party councilor Miriam Cominelli in the face of the regional resolutions which last December 28th cut – effective from June 1st – the funds for assistance to people with serious and very serious disabilities. A decision that led to the mobilization of families, also dissatisfied with the recent “remodulations” of the cuts, which in Lombardy assist 11 thousand disabled people and who have seen their contributions reduced by heavy percentages, estimated, initially, between 32 and 75%. A hard blow for families and caregivers who, in reality, find themselves dealing not only with enormous objective difficulties, but also with governmental and regional decisions that are perhaps not coordinated with each other.
«The cuts made are the consequence of a government measure which plans to channel the resources that were given directly to families to new services, provided by the Territorial Areas. The Municipalities, however, not only were not prepared, but did not even receive resources to prepare the services which, in fact, do not exist. So, what’s left are the cuts.”
An allocation of 3.5 million euros was made in March. «Another 6.5 would be needed. The cuts – highlights Cominelli – have been reduced for Measure B1 (which guarantees the stay at home for very seriously and seriously disabled people), but there is still a 150 euro difference in the contribution given for some categories”.
And then there’s the whole access chapter. «There is a waiting list according to which the new assignments of the measures are made when places become free, that is to say that when a disabled person dies, another has access to the contributions. The extra money would go towards unblocking this situation». Also for Measure B2 (intended for the assistance of the elderly and adults and minors with disabilities, with the preparation of the Individual Assistance Project) «the contribution has fallen from 400 to 100 euros and remains so. The 300 euro cut is what should be allocated to the services provided by the Territorial Areas”. The pressures to resolve the situation, therefore, are different.
«The Lombardy Region should first of all ask the Government for exemptions to allow the Municipalities to find a way to structure themselves and, in the meantime, it could advance this money which – I repeat, they are 0.03% of the regional budget — they would provide relief to particularly fragile people».
