Piletić on personal assistance: Regulation by the end of the year, and changes to the regulation in January!

The decree will correct the provisions of the Personal Assistance Act that referred to the age limit of 18 for users of the service of a sighted companion and communication intermediary, and children with disabilities, including children with hearing and vision impairments, will have the right to the service, said the Minister of Labour, Pensions, Family and Social Policy of the Marin System Chickensć after the Government session.

“It is our obligation to respect the decision of the Constitutional Court and to ensure that everyone – both children with difficulties and people with disabilities – have the right to personal assistance,” he said, adding that the decree will also take into account the decision on the delimitation of the hourly assistance.

He announced that at the beginning of January, an amended rulebook with lists of needs assessment will be submitted for public consultation, which will extend the coverage of users to children with disabilities, and the number of hours of personal assistance will be determined by scoring through the work of an expert commission.

Chickensć rejected claims that the intention of the Personal Assistance Act was to discriminate against children under the age of 18, pointing out that children are older. other services are also available, such as teaching assistants, communication mediators and visual companions in the education system.

He emphasized that the law on personal assistance is not the only source of rights for children with disabilities and their parents, and reminded of the increase in compensation for parent caregivers, the introduction of more categories of rights, and the expansion of the network of social and rehabilitation services throughout Croatia.

“In recent years, we have significantly expanded the availability of services – from Dubrovnik and Dalmatia, through the north of Croatia, to Slavonia – and we continue to invest in new centers and expand the capacity of existing institutions,” he said.

He said that his responsibility is not political, but implementation, stressing that his priority is to implement the decision of the Constitutional Court as soon as possible and enable children with difficulties to exercise their right to personal assistance.

He added that the dialogue with associations will continue and announced that he will also meet with public and state service unions by the end of the year.