Increasing number struggling to cope financially

Cáritas has cared for around 1,300 people since the State of Emergency began and more than 550 are asking for help for the first time.

The care provided by the Charity is more urgent than ever because of the huge number of people who are struggling to cope now that the State of Emergency has forced businesses to shut.

“Until now they lived day to day, but because of the current circumstances they’ve run out of money and can’t even afford the most basic expenses, such as food and housing. The profile is very wide, both by age and nationality and includes families with children, single-parent families, elderly people who do not receive a pension, single people, etc,” said Cáritas.

Many of those who are suffering survived by working in the black economy, such as street vendors, non-contract domestic workers and agricultural employees who have lost their income because of the health crisis.

There’s also a huge number of people who came to Majorca to work the tourist season, who are no longer receiving unemployment benefits and don’t have any other income.

Several people who were helped by Cáritas during the economic crisis of 2008 were just getting back on their feet, but find themselves in dire straights yet again, because of the coronavirus crisis.