Prince’s Government submits bill on protection, independence and promotion of the rights and freedoms of people with disabilities

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A decade after Act No. 1.410, dated 2 December 2014, on the protection, independence and promotion of the rights and freedoms of people with disabilities was passed, the Prince’s Government submitted a bill on disability to the National Council on Wednesday 25 June 2025. The bill seeks to update and strengthen the basic legal framework surrounding the rights of people with disabilities and their families.

This legislative initiative introduces a number of major steps towards guaranteeing better accommodations for the lived realities of people with disabilities, including:

• Improved support for parents of children with disabilities, through the establishment of a carer’s allowance for parents who are forced to give up work when their child with disabilities is unable to attend full-time schooling. The provision also ensures that pension rights are maintained through contributions paid by the State.
• A new approach to benefits: the bill draws a clear distinction between benefits designed to ensure a minimum income (which are means-tested) and benefits designed to compensate for the additional costs associated with the disability. The latter are now accessible regardless of income.
• People with disabilities will no longer be automatically transitioned to an old-age pension at the age of 60: this will now be determined on a case-by-case basis, following advice from the Disability Evaluation Committee based on the individual’s actual circumstances. In addition, it will be possible to apply for disabled status after the age of 60, something which has not previously been allowed.

This legislation is fully in line with national policy on disability, led by the Prince’s Government through the Handipact initiative.

Once passed, it will enable implementation of amendments to the Ministerial Decree setting out the conditions for payment of benefits to people with disabilities.

For Minister of Health and Social Affairs Christophe Robino, “this bill very clearly reaffirms the Prince’s Government’s commitment and its determination to create a strong, flexible legal framework for all people with disabilities and for their families.”