A process is currently underway to amend legislation;
in that, no social benefits and social housing benefits will
be subject to a garnishee order that a person may
have issued on his assets. The
Government felt that it should make this legislative amendment in order to
protect the interests of vulnerable people facing garnishee
orders by the banks.
At a joint news
conference on Friday morning between the Minister for Social Justice
and Solidarity, the Family and Children’s Rights, Michael Falzon and
the Minister for Justice, Equality and Governance,
Edward Zammit Lewis, it was explained that this legislative amendment will bring social justice to those
affected.
Minister Michael Falzon stated that
in the past there was a limit of around €700, however as
from now onwards all benefits will be protected.
Minister Michael Falzon stated that this is a
positive measure that will help hundreds of people who are facing financial and
social pressures. He also stated that
administrative procedures will be sped
up, thus reducing bureaucracy.
Minister Falzon stressed that this legislative amendment is also being made with the
cooperation that the Government has found on the part of the Malta
Bankers’ Association.
The Minister for Justice, Equality
and Governance Edward Zammit Lewis emphasised the fact that
this legislative amendment is intended to ensure that the
citizen has the right to live a decent life, in
particular those persons
coming from a challegining social background.
This legislative amendment is
important because it will ensure that social benefits are exempted from the effects of any garnishee order, without the need for a person to go through court proceedings, at his own expense, in order to be
able to have access to these social benefits.
Through
this decision the Government continues to show that it is a Government with a social
soul and that it tries to understand what a person may be going through. This
is a Government of the people, and for the people.
