Torrevieja’s Socialist Party (PSOE) has sharply criticised the new 2025–2028 Social Services Contract Programme agreed between the Generalitat Valenciana and the City Council, warning it represents a major step backward for local welfare provision.
Socialist councillor Carol Ponce, who had previously tabled a motion urging the Generalitat to approve the contract without cuts, has denounced the final agreement as delayed and damaging. The contract arrives seven months late and contains a reduction of €300,000 per year, amounting to a loss of over €1.2 million over the full term, despite rising social demand.
While funding for staffing—such as the Primary Care Team and the Specialised Childhood and Adolescent Intervention Team (EEIIA)—has increased by €190,000 to reflect salary rises and two new posts, key services have seen drastic cuts or have been removed altogether.
One of the most affected is SASEM, the Mental Health Support and Monitoring Service, which previously received €279,000 annually. “The service was never implemented despite receiving funds for three years. The result? This year, the funding has been slashed to €84,000,” Ponce explained.
Another casualty is the Social Inclusion Pathways Programme, designed to support recipients of minimum income with training and employment access. Torrevieja received €303,000 over the previous three years but failed to implement the programme. The result for 2025: zero euros and complete removal.
Ponce also flagged that despite population growth, funding for other essential services has stagnated—or worse, quietly declined. The Home Help Service for dependent individuals remains frozen at €150,000, yet with over 700 fewer hours of care. The ‘Menjar a casa’ meals programme has seen no increase either.
In terms of equality policy, the new contract includes funding for two new professionals, but all references to gender violence have been erased. “Even the title ‘Gender Violence’ has been replaced with ‘Promotion of Equality Between Men and Women’,” Ponce noted.
To add to the concerns, during the most recent plenary session, the council acknowledged that it must return €74,000 plus interest for unspent EEIIA funds allocated in 2024.
Ponce expressed frustration that when raising these issues publicly, the mayor dismissed them and suggested she should have spoken privately to the relevant councillor. “The mayor insists I direct my questions elsewhere, but then refuses to let others respond in session. These are not doubts—I’m stating facts.”
She concluded by urging the administration to immediately request a formal addendum to rectify the situation for 2026 and minimise the impact on vulnerable residents this year.
