Benidorm increases funds for home care and emergency aids up to 950,000 euros

The Department of Social Welfare of Benidorm City Council, which directs Ángela Llorca, has increased in 2020 the funds for the home assistance program (PAAD) and for emergency aids, the so-called PEI's, to reach between 950,000 euros. Specifically, 500,000 euros will be allocated to the PAAD and 450,000 to the PEI's. Llorca explained that "in this way we increase the amount for home care service by 50,000 euros compared to last year, and by about 75,000 the amount reserved for emergency aids." Both amounts were approved yesterday at the Local Government Board (JGL).

The councillor recalled that the first aid program is aimed at "paying the cost of assistance that receive dependents or special needs in their homes so that they remain in their usual environment and can have greater autonomy and improve their quality of life". In 2019, 271 users benefited from this program, 188 were women and 83 men.

Llorca detailed that “part of these people received domestic services; others, personal services; and some both ”with a total attendance of 35,282 hours. Thus, according to the data provided by the Social Welfare area, due to the dual provision of both services 164 people received personal assistance and the total number of personal assistance users were 217.

The head of Social Welfare stressed that “progressively, in the last four years, we have been increasing the amount we allocate to the PAAD, from the initial 350,000 euros to the half million that has been reserved for 2020.

To be a beneficiary of these grants, it is essential to reside in Benidorm, be registered as a minimum for a year and have a favorable opinion from the Social Welfare Department's Valuation Commission, which will determine the number of subsidized hours in each case and the tasks that are included, the intensity and duration of home assistance and the total amount of assistance.

With regard to PEIs, these emergency grants are granted to people registered in the event of energy poverty or for the care of basic needs. These grants can be requested promptly or available during a set time. In 2019, through the PEI's, 505 people were served, with the granting of 671 grants for a total amount of 375,148.60 euros.