The archipelago ranks second last in expenditure per potentially dependent individual, with 1,238 euros.
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE/MADRID, 23 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
In 2023, the Canary Islands found themselves at the bottom of the list regarding investment per dependent resident, with an overall figure of 138.2 euros compared to the national average of 240.5 euros. When considering expenditure per potentially dependent individual, they placed second last, recording 1,238 euros, as per a report released by the State Association of Directors and Managers in Social Services on Monday.
Throughout the previous year, the total expenditure for the archipelago reached 305.9 million euros, of which 28.5% came from the State (87.1 million euros) and the remainder was covered by the autonomous community (218.7 million euros), nearly matching the national average.
The report also mentions that Castilla y León, Galicia, and Aragón “gained financially” from the increased budget for dependency under the Shock Plan (2020-2023) approved by the Government following the health crisis.
During this timeframe, the Spanish Government raised its contribution to Dependency by 138%, in contrast to the 9% rise from the autonomous communities.
Consequently, among all autonomous communities, three reduced their spending on care for dependent individuals during the Shock Plan: Castilla y León (-34.7%), Galicia (-6.4%), and Aragón (-3.2%).
The association describes the cuts in Galicia as “particularly alarming”, as it has the lowest proportion of individuals receiving care from the potentially dependent population (16%) against the national average of 23%.
The study indicates that, in 2023, public investment in Dependency Care totalled 11,522 million euros: 8,230 million from the autonomous communities (71%), and 3,292 million from the central government (29%). It highlights a “pronounced territorial disparity”, with the communities investing the most in dependency per potentially dependent individual annually being the Basque Country (2,848 euros), Extremadura (2,599 euros), and Navarra (2,413 euros).
In the Balearic Islands, investment is at 2,031 euros; La Rioja at 2,116 euros; Castilla y León at 1,967 euros; Madrid at 1,921 euros; Andalusia at 1,888 euros; Castilla-La Mancha at 1,876 euros, and the Valencian Community at 1,825 euros.
Below the average of 1,825 euros are Cantabria with 1,700 euros; Catalonia at 1,649 euros; Asturias at 1,604 euros; Aragón at 1,536 euros; Murcia at 1,504 euros; the Canary Islands at 1,248 euros and Galicia at 1,073 euros.
According to the report, the relative significance of regional funding compared to state funding between 2015 and 2020 displayed an upward trend, which was disrupted in 2021, “when some communities utilised the increase in funding provided by the State through the shock plan to withdraw part of their funding.”
Thus, the share of the communities in financing dropped by 13% between 2021 and 2023, while the General Administration “strengthens the funding of the system.”
These reductions in contributions in certain autonomous communities “have restricted the capacity of the funds from the shock plan to make an impact,” according to the association.
Regarding the communities that allocate the highest proportion of their own budgets to Dependency Care, they consist of the Basque Country (83.9%); Navarra (80.8%) and Extremadura (78.2%). While the average regional funding sinks to 71% across Spain, communities such as La Rioja (59%), Galicia (59.3%), Andalusia (62.3%), and Castilla y León (63.2%) remain significantly below this figure.
COMPLAINT: “EVERY 15 MINUTES A PERSON DIES WAITING FOR BENEFITS”
In light of these findings, the State Association of Directors and Managers in Social Services has highlighted, coinciding with the anniversary of the Dependency Law, the “failure of Public Administrations that have transformed subjective rights into fleeting and paper rights.”
“This is a matter of public interest, as a considerable percentage of citizens will eventually find themselves in a situation of dependency,” they argue, while noting that currently 292,792 individuals are on waiting lists and that every 15 minutes, someone passes away in the bureaucratic labyrinth of the Law.
“Regrettably, the budgets did not reach the 45,360 individuals who died last year in time,” the organisation remarked.
