Disabled Turks protest benefit cuts
A legal amendment cutting financial support for people with disabilities has sparked a wave of protests in Turkey, with a big demonstration scheduled for May outside parliament.
In Turkey, people with disabilities are in an uproar. The state has begun to cut monthly “home care” salaries paid to their relatives under a legal amendment passed last year. To benefit from the salary, the family now has to pass an “income test.”
The government pays 793 Turkish lira (about $300) per month to individuals who care for a disabled person in their home. Under the new law, one becomes eligible for the money only if they pass the "income test" — that is, if the monthly per capita household income is less than 572 Turkish lira ($212).
