Replacing institutions: welfare provisions for mentally disabled people

In this project we worked together with Tamás Verdes (TASZ/HCLU) who is an expert on services for disabled people. BI experts Ágota Scharle and Balázs Váradi contributed by estimating the costs of a potential reform of current services in Hungary and conducting a stake-holder analysis.

The project reviewed the current system of provisions for mentally disabled or autistic people in Hungary, assessed its impact on social integration and human rights and outlined some recommendations for improving the system. The review covered employment subsidies, services to support community living, cash transfers, legal capacity, guardianship and housing. The reform of housing arrangements was given special attention. We described the current practice of large institutions, reviewed the arguments for deinstitutionalisation and mapped the financial and political factors that have hindered long overdue reforms in this area, despite the grave implications for human rights and the wellbeing of the inmates of such institutions in Hungary. We hope this review can provide a basis for discussions and consultations culminating in the formulation of a government reform strategy.