News | Sunday, 14 June 2009

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Dalli clamps down on Gozitan invalids

James Debono
The Minister for Social Policy John Dalli has revoked the invalidity pensions of 376 Gozitan beneficiaries, following a decision from a medical board.
There are 6,346 people in Malta and Gozo who have been ‘boarded out’ of employment for medical reasons and in receipt of a supporting pension from the State.
Of these, 974 (15%) are from Gozo, which has 32,000 residents (7.7% of the Maltese population).
But the social ministry has now revoked invalidity pensions for 1,760 beneficiaries in total. 21% of there were Gozitans.
Anyone certified by a medical panel as being incapable for suitable full-time or regular part-time employment due to a serious disease or bodily or mental impairment, can be eligible for an invalidity pension.
Although less Gozitans are being boarded out than ever before, the State still pays a disproportionate number of invalidity pensions issued to Gozitans in previous years. In fact, while 208 Gozitans had their invalidity pension renewed in 2008 only 400 persons from the rest of Malta had their pension renewed in the same year. This means that over one-third of invalidity pensions renewed in 2008 involved Gozitan recipients.
A spokesperson for Social Policy Minister John Dalli recently reiterated government’s commitment that the State should only award invalidity pensions to “deserving cases” and not to be used as an “early opt-out” from work.

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