Public Prosecution pursues 62 cases of forged disability claims

• Of 4,529 final rulings against the Authority for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities, 3,209 favored it, a 70% win rate.

• The authority filed 337 lawsuits, reclaiming hundreds of thousands of dinars, highlighting its success in recovering unlawful expenditures.

• The authority ensures a decent standard of living and arranges residential care for individuals with disabilities and their families.

Mubarak Al-Badah, Acting Deputy Director for the Educational and Rehabilitation Services Sector, Director of Legal Affairs and official spokesman for the Authority for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities, revealed that the authority uncovered 62 instances of forged medical reports “for disability claims,” all of which have been forwarded to the Public Prosecution.

Al-Badah informed Al-Qabas that the total number of lawsuits, whether initiated by or against the authority, since the beginning of this year, stands at 9,612 cases. Among these, 4,757 cases are directed against the authority, with none yet resolved or proceeding through the courts at different levels.

He also mentioned, “The total number of final rulings in cases brought against the authority reached 4,529, with 3,209 rulings favoring the authority and 1,320 against it. This translates to a winning percentage exceeding 70%, highlighting significant cases such as the annulment of an administrative decision by the authority. This involved rejecting the decisions of medical committees, whether regarding disability degree reduction or defining the person as not meeting the criteria.

Reclaiming unlawfully spent sums

Al-Badah highlighted that the authority has filed 337 lawsuits to reclaim unlawfully spent sums, totaling hundreds of thousands of dinars. This underscores the authority’s ongoing success in recovering substantial amounts of money spent in contravention of the law, a testament to its diligent efforts, especially in safeguarding public funds, which are sacrosanct.

He noted that the legal affairs department calculates and verifies the amounts through the financial and legal departments. Following this, they contact the debtors, whether they are the disabled individuals themselves, their caretakers, or their heirs in case of the disabled person’s demise, to recover these funds. This action is taken because these funds are public and not subject to the statute of limitations.

Monitoring potential violations

Concerning the actions taken by the authority if the caregiver fails in their responsibilities towards the disabled person, Al-Badah stated, “The authority has established a team of advocates for the disabled, tasked with monitoring potential violations against individuals with disabilities and seeking their protection. Additionally, they work on educating the community about their rights.”

He further explained, “The team members have been empowered to conduct legal investigations into violations of the law. This allows them to report and document crimes related to infringing upon the rights of individuals with disabilities. They then refer these offenders to the appropriate authorities to enforce the deterrent penalties outlined by the law.”

65,592 individuals registered for disabilities

He highlighted that the authority has registered a total of 65,592 individuals with disabilities, encompassing various types, as per the latest statistics. These include 11,267 with physical disabilities, 5,106 with visual impairments, 17,302 with mental challenges, 14,786 with kinetic impairments, 7,384 with educational needs, 2,047 with developmental disabilities, 5,181 with hearing impairments, 2,008 with psychological conditions, and 511 others with specific disabilities.

He explained that the authority worked on providing accommodating arrangements for individuals with disabilities. This included designing public and private buildings to cater to the specific type and severity of disability, ensuring accessible services in designated offices for persons with disabilities.

Rehabilitating, employing individuals with disabilities

He continued, “Alongside offering educational, rehabilitative, and pedagogical services, as well as educational resources for individuals with disabilities in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, including scholarships both within and outside Kuwait, the authority also focuses on rehabilitating and employing individuals with disabilities in governmental and private sectors, including the oil industry.

He concluded by stating, “The authority also provides financial benefits ensuring a decent standard of living for individuals with disabilities. It also arranges residential care for them and their families in collaboration with relevant state authorities, issuing a disability identity that grants access to services and benefits outlined by law.”

Types of disabilities and their numbers:

• 11,267 Physical disabilities
• 5,106 Visual disabilities
• 17,302 Mental disabilities
• 14,786 Kinetic disabilities
• 7,384 Educational disabilities
• 2,047 Developmental disabilities
• 5,181 Hearing disabilities
• 2,008 Psychological disabilities
• 511 Unspecified disabilities