Users should decide when to use assistance
The commission opposed limiting support to people in employment or education and rejected a proposed 150-hour monthly ceiling. It called for flexible use of allocated hours, with disabled people deciding when and how to use them. Recommendations also covered on-call assistants and better pay where support required specialist skills. [1]
Ministry figures show provision and unmet need
In November, the ministry reported that 1,638 people had used personal assistance during the first six months of 2024, supported by 956 assistants. Minister Vytautas Šilinskas linked the service to community life, study, work and leisure. The ministry acknowledged that increased national funding still did not meet all demand. [2]
An NGO guide explains assistance in daily life
The Lithuanian Disability Forum’s 2024 guide for women with disabilities who experienced violence described personal assistance as individual support at home, in public, while travelling and in communication. It stressed doing activities together with the person. This practical account showed why control over assistance matters beyond employment alone.