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According to a post in the Facebook group @likeornot, a man with a recognized disability has spoken out about the severe gap between state support and the real cost of daily care, describing an undignified reality for people with disabilities who live alone.
The case concerns a 58-year-old tenant whose disability and need for daily assistance have been officially acknowledged by the relevant social services. Despite this, the financial support he receives amounts to €400 per month. This amount is intended to cover home-care needs but which, in practice, barely pays for minimal services.
According to his account, the welfare system offered him only two realistic options. The first was to enter into an agreement with a state-approved home-care provider. The second was to independently hire a foreign domestic worker, assuming full responsibility for wages, insurance contributions, accommodation, and legal obligations.
When he contacted certified home-care providers, the offers he received were strikingly limited. One provider proposed four hours of care per month in exchange for the entire €400 allowance. Another offered six hours per month for the same amount. For someone who requires assistance every day, at least several hours per day, these arrangements fall dramatically short.
This raises a fundamental question, he argues: can such brief visits genuinely be described as home care, or are they merely symbolic check-ins that fail to address real needs?
The alternative option, hiring a live-in or part-time helper, presents its own challenges. While the state contribution remains fixed at €400, the total cost of employment far exceeds that amount. For someone already surviving on the guaranteed minimum income, while also paying rent, utilities, and basic living expenses, the financial burden becomes overwhelming.
At present, he pays €5 per hour to a domestic worker who visits twice a week for three hours at a time. Even this limited support does not meet his basic daily requirements. He maintains that if a modest additional amount of direct financial assistance were provided, he could manage his care independently and maintain a dignified standard of living.
Instead, he says, the current system prioritizes contracts and formalities over human dignity, leaving people with disabilities trapped between inadequate services and unaffordable alternatives.
