In recent years, expenses for food, medicine, hygiene and care products, and utilities have significantly increased. The allowance does not cover these expenses, including diapers, which are reimbursed at 50% and only for two a day, although medical regulations require three. It should be noted that this is not a cheap purchase, said Iveta Neimane, a representative of the disability protection organization "Sustento," at a meeting of the Saeima's commission on mandates, ethics, and statements. She pointed out that the home care service, paid for by local government, costs 600 euros. If a person is placed in a medical institution, this amount ranges from 1500 to 1600 euros per month. Moreover, there are queues for these places - at least six months, and people with Group I disabilities and mental disorders have to wait up to a year or even longer. The Ministry of Welfare responded that there is no money, and this is a common problem. "We have driven some people to complete despair. Help is needed, a person cannot cope with this alone, so someone needs to be hired to assist them. It is obvious that this cannot be done for 213 euros, even if paid in cash. As a result, everything falls on the shoulders of relatives, who do this almost for free, sacrificing their careers, health, and, to a significant extent, the contributions they could make to the labor market," Neimane added. In her opinion, this situation is unacceptable, and the lack of funds is not an argument.
