The senate voted through the government’s plans for the long-term care system on Tuesday evening by 37 to 36 votes, news agency Novum reports.

Under the reorganisation, local authorities will be responsible for long-term care for the elderly and the handicapped from January 1, the budget for which will be cut by 40%.

The senate spent two days debating the plans which are aimed at keeping people in their own homes for longer with help from family and friends, while shaving €2.3bn from government spending.

Criticism

To counteract criticism that the budget cut will cost jobs, junior health minister Martin van Rijn announced there will be €75m for people who need home nursing but cannot afford to pay, Novum says.

However, the budget cut will cost jobs. According to the government, there will be 22,000 job losses, while unions say 100,000 jobs will go.

Starting date

There is also criticism of the starting date for the new system. Health insurers say January 1 is too soon because local councils do not yet have the necessary systems in place to deal with the new responsibility.

Van Rijn said earlier he does not see any reason to postpone the handover, but he will keep an eye on progress.