Simplified procedure for pro-rata bonuses announced

Report by Andrea Rossitto

Citizens entitled to non-contributory pensions will start receiving bonuses real-time, with simplified procedures.

Addressing a press conference, Social Solidarity Minister Michael Farrugia made reference to a mother of a person with disability, who urged Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to revise the system during a session of the ‘government that listens campaign’.

The mother who explained how her son, who suffers from a disability, was employed in a part-time job. Every three months he has to go to the Department of Social Security with a letter signed by his employer as proof of the bonuses received; the Department then makes up for the difference.

“People entitled to this payment had to go through a cumbersome bureaucratic process, involving their employers, double-checking their working hours and informing the government every time,” Farrugia told a press conference.

The minister said that works were carried out over the past six months to make the process more efficient.

“From now on, the individuals’ working hours will be known from beforehand and the pro-rata bonus difference entitlement will be out in real-time,” Farrugia said.  

Another improvement expected in the sector is the facility to apply for non-contributory benefits online.

The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities will also launch a mobile application to help identify public places which are accessible.