The increase in monthly assistance for bedridden persons with disabilities (PWD) and chronically ill patients from RM500 to RM600 will provide more support for caregivers, but remains insufficient to cover the cost of daily care, says advocate.
Malaysia Independent Living Association For Disabled (Milad) president Sia Siew Chin explains that families spend substantial amounts on needs like adult diapers, medication, special nutrition and transportation.
“We had proposed increasing this allowance to RM800 per month. We continue to believe that RM800 would provide more meaningful financial relief to these families.”
Mohamad Azman Shukri, 48, says that the increase is helpful in helping lighten the cost of caring for his mother who has been bedridden due to a stroke since last year.
“Although the additional RM100 may not seem much, it actually helps a lot for families already struggling to cover expenses,” he says, noting that he and his younger sibling have had to pick up additional jobs to cover medication expenses for their mother.
“At the same time, I hope the government can understand how high the cost can get when it comes to caring for an ill and bedridden person. Even with the aid, we will still need to add on more to afford the care.
“In the future, I hope they will continue to raise the amount for this assistance especially as the cost of living increases.”
The Government also raised the income eligibility threshold for the Disabled Workers’ Allowance from RM1,700 to RM2,000.
Sia says the adjustment was important as they “face additional expenses related to transportation, mobility, assistive devices and personal assistance just to participate in employment.”
However, she also calls for the threshold to be reviewed regularly in line with wage increases and rising cost of living.
“We must also avoid a situation where a person with a disability loses financial assistance simply because they receive a small salary increment. Such a system could unintentionally discourage career progression.”
Meanwhile, the Special Education Needs Student Allowance has been raised from RM150 to RM200 monthly.
Desiree Kaur, 42, whose son has autism, is glad for the increase especially as it has remained unchanged over the years.
“However, a RM50 monthly increase must be considered against the cumulative rise in living costs and the additional expenses faced by families raising children with disabilities.”
Moving forward, she hopes for more targeted allocations for specific assistive devices based on individual needs, such as communication aids like Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices.
