ArmInfo. From January 1, 2024, persons with disabilities will be provided with the service of a personal assistant. The decision was made on January 4 at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers.
Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan, presenting the draft decision, recalled that in 2023 the program was implemented in pilot mode. The proposed project makes some changes for its effective implementation, the purpose of the innovation is to help people with disabilities lead an independent life and be involved in the community.
"The services of a personal assistant include both care for beneficiaries and assistance in overcoming obstacles, including those related to restrictions on movement," Mkrtchyan said.
As the minister explained, if in the earlier decision only persons with severe functional limitations, motor, visual, mental or intellectual problems, whose family was registered in the family insecurity assessment system and had more than 10 points on the insecurity scale, had the right to receive services, then the new resolution expands the circle of beneficiaries of the program, and services will also be provided to persons over 15 years of age who have the above-mentioned restrictions of moderate severity and regardless of whether they are registered in the system or not.
The beneficiary of the program can nominate his preferred candidacy as a personal assistant, and if he does not have such a candidacy, then he makes a choice from among the candidates available on the online platform of personal assistants registered with the Unified Social Service, the minister said, adding that currently there are 57 such candidates. According to the minister, the cost of 1 hour of service is 1050 drams, including taxes. For people with severe disabilities, the personal assistant service can be provided for 140 hours per month, for people with severe disabilities - 120 hours, with moderate disabilities - 100 hours.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in turn, proposed canceling the restriction on involving relatives who live with beneficiaries in the provision of services. "Our beneficiary is not a family member, our beneficiary is a person who needs to be taken care of, we give money, we are not interested in who we give money to, we are interested in what we give money for. We pay to provide care. If we are not sure that even a family member, parent, wife, husband has this skill, we will not give this money. But I say: let's not close this opportunity," said the Prime Minister.
Narek Mkrtchyan noted that the necessary changes will be made to the draft decision.
