AGE contributed to the call of the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities for submissions on the right to social protection, highlighting inequalities in the provision of disability benefits.
Ms. Catalina Devandas Aguilas took office as the first UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities in December 2014. As part of her mandate she will look into inequalities in the social protection of persons with disabilities. In this frame she has launched a consultation of civil society and other interested parties to inform her work.
Our submission provides insights on the specific barriers that older people with disabilities face in accessing social protection, such as disability pensions, personal budgets, personal assistance and mobility allowances. It gives examples from EU countries to showcase the need for an old age perspective in disability, in order to overcome existing discrepancies in the application of disability-related provisions. Our contribution focuses on age-based barriers and age limits in eligibility criteria. We conclude that the Special Rapporteur should look into how existing social protection schemes apply to people who age with a disability and people who acquire disabilities in an advanced age and clarify that age alone should not be a reason why older people in need of support do not fall under the remit of disability provisions.
AGE will highlight these issues also in the frame of the EU’s review by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- AGE’s contribution on age limits in social protection schemes for people with disabilities
- More information about the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
For more information you may contact Nena Georgantzi,nena.georgantzi@age-platform.eu
