Saxony-Anhalt is reforming assistance for the disabled: new system from 2025!

Saxony-Anhalt is reforming assistance for the disabled: new system from 2025!

Saxony-Anhalt sets new standards in assistance for the disabled. With the termination of the previous framework agreement at the end of the year, the country is pursuing a radical change to improve assistance for people with disabilities. Social Affairs Minister Petra Grimm-Benne explained that a transitional regulation that will come into force on January 1, 2025 will ensure a seamless transition to a new state framework agreement. “There is no need to fear social cuts at the expense of people with disabilities,” she emphasizes, and assures that collective wage increases for staff will also be taken into account. These measures are necessary because the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has been inadequate over the last five years ms.sachsen-anhalt.de reported.

A central aspect of the reform is a paradigm shift: In the future, the focus should move away from blanket benefits and towards the individual needs and wishes of those affected. Integration assistance should be designed in such a way that people with disabilities can experience more self-determination and participation in society. For 2025, 711 million euros are already planned in the budget, which represents an increase compared to 572 million euros in 2021. In 2026, 723 million euros are to be made available. Another groundbreaking point is the high density of inpatient facilities in Saxony-Anhalt, which will also be supplemented by outpatient services in the future. The reforms aim to improve the participation of people with disabilities in the labor market, as well as the social agency.sachsen-anhalt.de highlights.

The current structure therefore requires a comprehensive change in order to do justice to the increasing number of people entitled to benefits. Over 30,000 people are currently receiving integration assistance under SGB IX, and the direction of future benefits will be crucial to meeting the challenges of this system. The realignment of assistance for the disabled in Saxony-Anhalt is therefore not only a necessary reaction to current grievances, but also a clear step towards a more inclusive and solidarity-based society.