The reform of the dependency and disability laws took a key step this Thursday in Congress. The Social Rights Commission approved the opinion that will take the text to next week's Plenary Session, with 20 votes in favor and 17 against, those of the PP and the far-right Vox. The vote leaves a difficult political image for the popular party to avoid: they have rejected that the State be legally obliged to finance 50% of the dependency system, a demand that their own regional governments have claimed for years.
The amendment incorporated by the Government groups changes the scope of the law. Until now, the norm did not set a minimum percentage of state contribution, beyond guaranteeing a basic level of protection and obliging the communities to contribute at least an amount equivalent to that of the State. The reform introduces that the General State Administration covers, "in any case", funding equivalent to 50% of the total expenditure certified by the autonomous communities, not counting the contribution of the beneficiaries.
The Government wants to convert this political commitment into a legal obligation to prevent the system from again depending on the budgetary will of each Executive. Social Rights recalls that during Mariano Rajoy's years, state funding suffered cuts exceeding 5.4 billion euros, while the new investment approved by the Council of Ministers raises the contribution to 5,513.8 million in 2026 and to 7,239.4 million in 2027.
The PP remains in the no despite the historical claim of its communities
The PP's vote has special weight because many communities governed by the 'popular' have demanded for years that the State assume half of the cost of dependency. This claim has been common in sectoral conferences, regional debates, and public statements by PP councilors. Now, when that obligation enters the law, the group of Alberto Núñez Feijóo has sided with the far-right in the rejection.
The popular party's argument has been the lack of an economic report that, in their opinion, guarantees how the new benefits will be sustained beyond 2027. Enrique Belda, PP spokesperson in the commission, assured that his group could change its position if the Government details the sources of future financing and the real estimates of beneficiaries. He also defended separating disability improvements from general changes in dependency.
The response of the Government and its partners involves already approved funding. The Royal Decree-Law of the Council of Ministers mobilizes an additional 6.162 billion between 2026 and 2027 to strengthen the System for Autonomy and Dependency Care. Most of it will reach the communities through an increase in the minimum level that the State transfers for each person with a recognized degree of dependency.
That money is not insignificant. State amounts for severe dependency increase from 290 to 660 euros per month, those for severe dependency go from 130 to 260 euros, and those for moderate dependency increase from 76 to 90 euros. Social Rights defends that this reinforcement will allow for reduced waiting lists, more staff hiring, improved working conditions, and expanded home care.
A reform to change the care model
The opinion is not limited to funding. The reform modifies the General Law on the rights of people with disabilities and the Dependency Law to adapt them to the new article 49 of the Constitution, which replaced the term "disminuidos" (disabled) and reinforced the mandate of inclusion and personal autonomy. The project seeks to expand rights, simplify procedures, and bring care closer to people's usual environment.
Among the novelties is the elimination of incompatibilities between benefits, so that a person can combine different supports according to their situation. Home care is also strengthened, telecare is recognized as a right, personal assistance is promoted, and the possibility is opened for close people, such as friends or neighbors, to provide care in the family environment when there is not a sufficient traditional family structure.
The change responds to an evident social reality. Spain is aging, families are smaller, many elderly people live alone, and the public care system has been working for years with delays, bureaucracy, and a lack of professionals. The objective of Social Rights is that dependency stops revolving almost always around residences and allows for the sustenance of life projects at home, in the neighborhood, and in the community.
The disability section also incorporates its own advances. The text strengthens universal accessibility, improves the protection of women, girls, and children with disabilities, introduces support in judicial processes through the figure of the expert procedural facilitator, and automatically recognizes a 33% disability for those with grade I dependency, with a specific pathway for higher grades.
Waiting lists remain the big test
Funding arrives with a system still under strain. The Ministry presented this week the latest SAAD panel with 142,887 people who have been waiting for a benefit for more than six months, the maximum legal period. The figure represents a 21% decrease in the last year and a minimum since comparable data exists, although the problem is still far from being resolved.
The State Observatory for Dependency raises the total backlog to 255,302 people if those who are waiting for assessment or benefit, even if they have not yet exceeded six months, are also included. The same report states that 15,450 people have died this year while waiting to be assessed or to receive the recognized aid.
The Government trusts that the combination of more funding and legal reform will accelerate the system. Today there are around 1.7 million people with effective benefits and demand will continue to grow due to population aging. The immediate challenge will be to reduce processing times, which still average almost a year from application to benefit, with very strong differences between communities.
Junts endorses the text after securing funding and competencies
The opinion has gone ahead thanks to the support of the Government's parliamentary partners, including Junts. The Catalan party has celebrated that the text incorporates two conditions it considered essential: the guarantee that the State finances half of the system and respect for the competencies of the Generalitat. This point has been decisive for the reform to pass the committee and reach the Plenary alive.
The PNV has also focused much of the debate on the distribution of powers and on the need to improve the text, while EH Bildu, ERC, Podemos and Sumar have defended the social progress of the reform, although with nuances regarding financing, copayments, home care and recognition of specific groups. The dependency sector has asked all groups to support both the legal reform and the royal decree on financing, although it calls for keeping the dialogue open on professionalization, public contracting and lack of personnel.
The Plenary of Congress will vote on the text next Tuesday, July 14, the same day it is scheduled to validate the decree of the 6,200 million. PP and Vox will then have to decide whether to maintain their vote against or change their position before the reform goes to the Senate.
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