[EN] Nolasco denounces an «under-allocation» of the central government of funds for the dependency

The Vice-President of the Government of Aragón and Minister of Deregulation, Social Welfare and Family, Alejandro Nolasco, has denounced the «desolate and shameful underfunding of the central government towards the autonomous communities in terms of care for dependency”. These statements come after the celebration of the Territorial Council of the Dependency – meeting via email last week – under the presidency of the Minister of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030, Pablo Bustinduy.

Aragon has abstained on the only point on the agenda, which involved the distribution of 904,197,420 euros between the autonomous regions of common regime – all except the Basque Country and Navarre – and the autonomous cities. The aforementioned figure of 904 million euros, although for nominal purposes is 15.45% higher than that distributed in 2025, «for real purposes it only grows by 1.16%», stressed the vice-president. In the last 12 months, «the number of dependents entitled to benefit in Spain has grown by 10.27%, already approaching 2 million people». In addition, in that same period «inflation has soared by 3.5%«.

In the case of Aragon, «the allocation of funds has an even worse effect, since it means, in practice, a reduction in the available funds«, he contextualised. Nolasco has indicated that in Aragon the number of dependents with recognized right to benefit is growing at a rate of almost 400 more each month. On 31 July there were already 51,710 and, at the current rate, it is expected that by the end of the year the figure will reach 54,000 dependents.

The funds allocated by the State to Aragon for dependent care amount to 35,198,209 euros in 2026, which, taking into account the census with which the year will end, will yield an average of 54 euros per month per dependent. The funds allocated in 2025 (31.55 million euros), divided by the number of dependents as of December 31 (49,365), gave an average of 53 euros per month.

In this way, the state endowment rises in theoretical terms by 1.89% per dependent, but year-on-year inflation accumulated a rebound of 3.5% until July, which means that, in real terms, «the State’s allocation to Aragonese dependents is cut». «And that is despite the fact that we were already starting from scandalously low budget allocations by the central government,» denounced Nolasco, in what he described as «a shameful underfunding and an insult by the Government of Pedro Sánchez towards those who have some recognized degree of dependency».

The vice-president highlighted the «contrast» of the fact that, «while the Sánchez government distributes crumbs of 54 euros a month for dependents, unaccompanied foreign minors cost the public coffers 6,000 euros each month«. «In other words, due to the political will of Sánchez’s Executive, the aid and the total cost of a mena is more than 100 times higher than the central government’s investment in a dependent,» he concluded.

The Aragonese vice-president has described as «derisory» the average amount assigned by the central government to Aragonese dependents – those 54 euros per month – since «the cost of having a caregiver at home or being cared for in a private residence is around, being very discreet, 2,000 euros per month«.