The Regional Minister for Social Inclusion, Youth, Families and Equality, Loles López, highlighted this Thursday in the Andalusian Parliament that her department has allocated more than 130 million in 2023 to the financing of services and benefits of the dependency system in the province of Almería, while highlighting historical figures in beneficiaries and benefits, together with a reduction in the waiting list in the province. «There is still a long way to go, but in 2023 steps have been taken to improve the dependency system in Almeria,» said Loles López in response to a parliamentary question.
Specifically, in Almeria the waiting list for dependency has been reduced by 36 percent compared to the close of 2018. In terms of people assisted in the province, the figure in 2023 reached an all-time high of 23,023 people, which represents an increase of 22 percent compared to the end of 2018. With regard to benefits, 32,252 were granted last year, which also translates into a record figure representing an increase of 33.5 percent compared to 2018.
During her speech in the regional chamber, the minister also pointed out that, since the beginning of Juanma Moreno’s government, 471 places have been made available for dependent persons in the province of Almeria, which is evidence of the Andalusian Regional Government’s firm commitment to respond to a growing demand as a result of the ageing of the population.
The Regional Minister, who stressed that «there is still much to be done», wanted to highlight all that has been done in these years of Juanma Moreno’s Government to improve care for dependent persons. Thus, she emphasised the measures included in the fourth simplification decree validated yesterday in Parliament, a decree that will speed up deadlines and reduce bureaucratic procedures «which means improving the lives of Almerians in a situation of dependency».
In this regard, the head of Social Inclusion has stressed the Government’s commitment to optimising procedures and has given, as an example, that for the first time the data on the files have been crossed between the territorial delegations and the Agency for Social Services and Dependency of Andalusia, in order to improve their management and avoid duplication. «The simplification decree makes it easier to achieve a more agile and efficient service for citizens», he assured, before emphasising that the Andalusian dependency system «is the largest in the whole country».