The Catalan authorities have announced the launch of a new support system for residents awaiting assistance in caring for dependents. Now, anyone who has undergone an official assessment and been recognized as having a degree of dependency will automatically receive a monthly payment of 100 to 200 euros until the main assistance is granted or a place in an institution is provided. This measure is aimed at easing the financial burden on families who wait months for decisions on their applications.
At the same time, the regional government is cancelling debts that previously arose for families due to technical failures: care payments continued to be made even after the recipient’s death, and then the relatives were required to return these funds. According to the head of the Catalan government, Salvador Illa, such situations will not happen again. Just in 2025, more than 10,000 such repayment demands were issued.
Reducing waiting times
The main goal of the new plan is to radically reduce the time between applying for recognition of dependency and receiving actual support. Currently, this period in Catalonia exceeds one year and averages 397 days. The authorities intend to cut this to 60 days, drawing on the experience of a pilot project in Vic and implementing digital tools to speed up assessments and payment processing.
As part of the reform, a rapid video conference assessment is provided for the most severe cases: around 18,000 people with third-degree dependency will be able to immediately receive a temporary payment of at least 200 euros. For 65,000 family caregivers, assistance processing will be accelerated through a special express program. The rest, who have already been assessed but do not fall into these categories, will also receive automatic support until the main payment is arranged.
Shortage of places and staff
Despite new measures, the problem of insufficient places in institutions for the elderly and dependents remains acute. In Catalonia, there are currently about 63,000 places in care homes, but nearly 16,000 more are needed to meet recommended standards. According to industry associations, by 2030, the region will require an additional 80,000 places and 20,000 care professionals.
To implement the reform, authorities plan to hire over 200 new employees, open four new services, and invest 25 million euros in technological upgrades to the system. According to government estimates, 81% of new applications will be processed by an expedited procedure, while the rest will receive a temporary payment within two weeks after assessment.
Context and comparison
The problem of payment delays and the lack of places in institutions for people with addictions has been discussed in Spain for several years. As previously noted in the article about strict checks at the Cup final in Seville, issues of social support and the organization of mass processes remain among the most pressing for regional authorities. For more on how the authorities respond to mass requests and manage large crowds, see the publication on security measures at sporting events in Seville.
