Dependency: Another Unsolved Issue for Catalonia

Catalonia ranks as the second autonomous community with the most people waiting for a resolution from the dependency system. Specifically, there are 42,970 people on the waiting list, according to the latest data published by the Ministry of Social Rights corresponding to March 2025. Only Andalusia surpasses it, with 44,561 people.

This number represents 6.12% of the potentially dependent population in the community, a percentage significantly higher than the national average. Despite this, Catalonia has experienced a slight improvement compared to last year, when the number of people waiting for assistance was 48,470, representing a decrease of 11.4%.

Even with the decrease in the lists, the average resolution time for cases remains a major problem. In Catalonia, a person takes an average of 264 days to obtain a resolution, an improvement compared to the 295 days recorded last year. However, this figure is still far from the maximum 180 days established by law.

In comparison, the national average has slightly worsened, going from 324 days in 2024 to 338 days in 2025. This places Catalonia below the national average in waiting times, but with management still insufficient to respond swiftly to demand.

More Applications and More Benefits, but Also More Deaths While Waiting

In the last year, the number of applications to the dependency system in Spain has grown by 5.4%, surpassing 2.19 million. Catalonia is no exception: more than 201,000 people currently receive some benefit, but more than 25,000 are still waiting for a place in public residences or day centers.

One of the most alarming figures is the number of people who die before receiving assistance: only in March 2025, 2,592 people died in Spain while waiting for their application to be assessed. In Catalonia, 12,280 people died last year in that situation, and since 2017, 103,055 Catalans have died without receiving the benefit, most with dependency already recognized.

A Collapsed System: Criticism, Shock Plans, and Citizen Indignation

The State Association of Directors and Managers of Social Services described the management of the system as "ineffective," with low-intensity benefits and underfunded services. Delays, bureaucracy, and lack of resources generate growing frustration among the affected population. Testimonials from people recounting situations of administrative negligence are increasingly common.

In response to this situation, the Generalitat has announced a shock plan aimed at reducing the waiting time from one year to nine months. In particular, it seeks to expedite entry into residential care centers as soon as possible, which provide relief for families. However, this directly clashes with the demographic growth for Catalonia that the same PSC Government announces.