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The house closes the employment positions – and is an example of the unrest in Bern’s disability system.
Alain Rossier sits at the sewing machine and concentrates on the needle going up and down. He sews a bread bag. It is one of the products made in the Bill House by around ten people with disabilities, along with food and wood products.
Legend:
Alain Rossier has been working at Bill-Haus for 38 years.
SRF
Alain Rossier has been working here in a protected environment for 38 years. He clearly enjoys the work. But in the summer of 2024 it will all be over. The operator, the Biel Special Education Day School Foundation, wants to close the Bill-Haus.
“I want to stay here because I’m at home here,” says Adrian Winkelmann. He has a mental disability and works in the woodworking shop.
The law probably doesn’t bring us more money, but rather less money.
What he expresses is also said by many of the employees’ parents. “I think it’s bad that this institution is being closed,” says mother Ruth Rossier. Since the closure was announced last fall, she and other relatives have done a lot to save the house. But all the letters and phone calls didn’t help.
Too little money to continue running the home
Why the closure? Because of the money, says Peter Stoepfer, President of the Biel Special Education Day School Foundation: “The deficit has increased significantly in recent years. The people here are getting older, they need more care.”
But the new disability law in the canton of Bern also played a role: “We noticed that the law didn’t bring us more money, but probably less.” There is little hope that the financial future of the house is secure, said Stoepfer.
In fact, the new law provides for a funding gap. According to the government, more people with disabilities will receive benefits. For example, around 5,000 people who were previously cared for at home by relatives are now entitled to money. This causes additional costs of 67 million francs per year. Spicy: According to the government, only 20 million francs are covered.
Legend:
People working in the woodworking shop of the Bill House.
SRF
So there remains a huge hole. And that threatens to fall back on the institutions. This is currently fueling a lot of uncertainty, says Rolf Birchler, managing director of Socialbern, the association of social institutions in the canton of Bern.
The fact that the law gives people with disabilities more self-determination is very much welcomed in the industry. But: “More money is being spent through the law. But there is less money available for people in care homes.”
Homes have to rethink
The uncertainty has an impact: SRF knows of several institutions that are currently looking for a new direction. Workplaces and childcare positions that have been eliminated are not just in Bill-Haus.
Legend:
The Bill House has to close due to lack of money.
SRF
The parents want to continue fighting for preservation. “You can’t just put people on the street,” says mother Ruth Rossier. Foundation President Stoepfer counters that no one is being put on the street: “We have hired a person who will help find new places for people.” Meanwhile, almost half of the employees have found a solution.
As far as the future of the Bill House on the outskirts of Biel is concerned: Stoepfer’s new direction seems clear here: “We are creating an offer for young people who are looking for a follow-up solution after school.” There is a great need there. And: Because it is a school offer, you are no longer covered by the Disability Act.