THE CABINET DECIDED ON NEW BENEFITS AND INCREASES IN BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES - SEE THE FIVE MEASURES - €104 million THE THREE YEAR COST - Filenews 3/7
The Council of Ministers approved the start of the gradual implementation of the Law on Social Participation, Inclusion and Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities, with the first five benefits coming into force from the coming months. The decision concerns, among other things, increases in the car purchase subsidy, the mobility allowance, the personal assistance and home care allowance, as well as the allowance for participation in a Day Center.
In her statements, the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Klea Papaellina, said that "an emblematic proposal of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare has been approved by the Council of Ministers and is being implemented. It concerns the implementation of the Social Participation, Inclusion and Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities Law of 2026 which was unanimously passed by the Plenary Session of the House of Representatives last April."
The new Law, which aims to upgrade and modernize social benefits and social services to our fellow citizens with disabilities, is gradually beginning to be implemented and with the decision of the Council of Ministers, the first five Independent Living Benefits begin as follows:
-Car purchase subsidy: from the date when, within the next few days, the Notification approved today will be published in the Official Gazette of the Republic, the provisions of the Law concerning the Car Purchase Subsidy shall apply. The amount of the grant is increased by 50% (from €3,500 to €5,250, from €4,500 to €6,750 and from €9,000 to €13,500). At the same time, the number of beneficiaries is expanded and will henceforth include children under the age of 18 as well as people over the age of 70 and up to 77 who received a grant only once.
-Movement Allowance: from the date of publication of the Notification, the provisions of the Law concerning the Movement Allowance will also come into force. The amount of the monthly Allowance is increased by 33% (from €75 to €100 and from €150 to €200 per month). The increase will apply retroactively from January 1, 2026, with a lump sum payment for the first six months. The beneficiaries are expanded to include, among others, people with quadriplegia over 65 years of age, as well as people with moderate or severe disabilities, who are working or studying.
-Personal Assistance and Home Care Allowance: As of August 1, 2026, the Personal Assistance and Home Care Allowance will be implemented and one of our most emblematic reforms, the decoupling of the Allowance from income and property criteria, will be implemented. The existing allowances consolidated into this new allowance, i.e. the Disability Allowance, the Home Care Grant, the Blind Sponsorship, the Severe Motor Disability Allowance, the Paraplegic Care Allowance and the Quadriplegic Care Allowance, are increased by 10%, with retroactive payment from January 1, 2026. Other important reforms are being introduced, such as the free choice of ways of personal help and care and the recognition of informal personal help and care.
-Day Centre Participation Allowance: From 1 September 2026, the provisions of the Day Centre Participation Allowance Act apply. The existing amount is increased by 100% (from €150 to €300 per month) and will be paid directly to the Day Centers.
-Support Consumables Allowance: As of October 1, 2026, the Support Consumables Allowance is applied, incorporating all existing beneficiaries into the new system.
The total additional cost, for the three-year period 2026-2028, which will result from the increase in the amount of social benefits and the gradual expansion of the beneficiaries by 5,000 persons, will amount to approximately €104 million. More specifically, this amount concerns the allocation of additional €23 million in 2026, €36 million in 2027 and €45 million in 2028.
This decision, as stated by the Deputy Minister, "is an additional important step towards a modern, fair and inclusive social welfare system, which enhances the autonomy, dignity and equal participation of people with disabilities in society".
The Cyprus Confederation of Disabled People's Organizations (KYSOA) welcomed the implementation of the legislation, speaking of an important development in the field of social policy and pointing out that this is the first substantial horizontal adjustment of disability benefits in decades. At the same time, he noted that, despite the positive development, there is still room for further improvements and new benefits that meet the different needs of people with disabilities.
On the contrary, the Cyprus Paraplegic Organization (OPAK) expressed strong reservations about the announcements. In a public post, the president of the Organization, Dimitris Lambrianidis, described the announcements as a "theatre of the absurd", arguing that the increases decided do not meet the real needs of people with severe motor disabilities.
OPAK claims that the announcements are made at a time when the cost of living has increased significantly, while citing Eurostat data, according to which 43.4% of people with severe disabilities in Cyprus are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. At the same time, he disagrees with the fact that, as he states, paraplegic people who do not work or study are still excluded from certain benefits.
In this context, OPAK sent a letter to the President of the Republic, requesting a review of the measures and more substantial support for people with severe mobility disabilities.
