CANCER patients, diabetics and quadriplegics are among those affected by the Labour Ministry’s decision to cut back on welfare benefits.
Alithia newspaper yesterday reported that a number of charity organisations – including the Anti-cancer Association, Diabetics Association, Paraplegics Association and the Organisation for the Blind – had been refused state funding for day-care and housing needs.
The Labour Ministry yesterday issued an announcement in response to the report, saying the cutbacks were made following expert analysis of the matter and as part of the renewed State Funding Plan.
Maria Vanezou of the Association for Cancer Patients and Friends yesterday confirmed the reports.
“It is true. The Labour Ministry has decided not to fund the association this year,” she told the Cyprus Mail.
The reason?
“They said that based on our 2005 accounts, the Association is capable of covering its own costs,” she explained, adding that the association had offered its 2005 accounts as the ones for 2006 weren’t ready at the time of evaluation.
But what makes the decision puzzling, is that in 2005, the association’s accounts showed it was in dire straits. “We had big problems; we were £87,000 in debt”.
The association’s 2006 accounts painted a more positive picture, with reserves reaching around £57,000.
“But that is enough to cover a month’s needs. The association offers this money to assist more than 3,000 patients. And I would like to point out that these are services that should be offered by the state anyway.”
In its announcement, the Labour Ministry said the welfare cuts had been made based on the government’s State Funding Plan, which was renewed in February 2007 and introduced a number of priorities and criteria.
“With the renewed State Funding Plan, the Social Welfare Services have set specific priorities for 2007 as well as evaluation criteria in the sectors that are funded depending on social needs, conditions and the tendencies that prevail in Cyprus,” the announcement read.
According to the ministry, the new conditions require that charity organisations present their audited accounts for the previous year, find ways to raise sufficient money so that they are not solely dependent on the state and have credible reserves that do not exceed 80 per cent of the amount the organisation is seeking funding for.
The affected organisations were informed of the ministry’s decision last March.
Minister Antonis Vassiliou, who is away on holiday and therefore couldn’t be reached, will personally examine all the objections that were submitted next Monday, the announcement concluded.
