Canary Islands approves the Dependency Services Charter with service deadlines

The General Directorate of Dependency, attached to the Ministry of Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Childhood and Families, has approved its Service Charter, a document that establishes quality commitments and response times for people in a situation of dependency and their families in the Canary Islands. The approval is formalized through the Resolution of August 11, 2026, published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands no. 170, of August 25, 2026, pages 33209 to 33222.

The resolution, signed by the general director, Concepción Ramírez Cuélliga, is framed within Decree 101/2025, of July 10, which establishes measures for the improvement of the quality of public services in the Administration of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands. The document was prepared by a working team designated by Resolution no. 21172/2026, of April 27, 2026, and received a favorable report from the General Directorate of Modernization and Quality of Public Services, issued on July 31, 2026.

Quality commitments and deadlines

The Charter includes three quality commitments with quantifiable goals, the fulfillment of which will be evaluated through semi-annual monitoring indicators and annual consolidation:

• Information and guidance: respond to at least 90% of written inquiries within a maximum period of ten business days.
• Recognition of dependency and Individual Care Program (PIA): resolve at least 90% of complete procedures within the maximum legal period of six months.
• Effective access to benefits and services: ensure that at least 85% of new PIAs result in the effective start of the benefit or service within a maximum period of ninety days.

The results will be published in an annual evaluation report, indicating the level of compliance, the deviations detected, and the corrective measures adopted.

Services and territorial structure

The Charter identifies three public services provided by the governing center: the information, guidance, and support service for citizens; the recognition of the dependency situation and the preparation of the PIA; and the management and effective access to the benefits and services of the System for Autonomy and Dependency Care (SAAD).

The General Directorate has two offices in the provinces of the Canary Islands:

• Tenerife Office: Avenida Benito Pérez Armas, 4, Edificio Andrea, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife (telephone 922922514).
• Las Palmas Office: Calle Tomás Morales, 122, Centro Sociosanitario El Pino, 35004 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (telephone 928306172).

Public office hours are from 9:00 to 14:00 Monday to Friday, and from 9:00 to 13:00 in July, August, and September. The 012 general information telephone line is also available.

Rights, participation, and validity

The Charter recognizes the rights of users, including personalized care, equal access, clear and updated information, participation in the design of their PIA, and the submission of suggestions and complaints. In return, it establishes responsibilities such as providing truthful information and communicating any changes in personal or health status.

The document guarantees equality based on gender, gender identity, and gender expression, as well as universal accessibility for people with visual, auditory, or other types of disabilities. The Charter will take effect the day following its publication in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands and will be reviewed and updated every two years.

The approval of this Charter represents a significant step for thousands of dependent people and their families in the Canary Islands, by turning processing and care deadlines into public and measurable commitments. Its semi-annual monitoring and the annual publication of results will allow citizens to verify the Administration’s level of compliance and exercise their rights with greater transparency.

Source: Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, no. 170, August 25, 2026, III. Other Resolutions, pp. 33209-33222 (official reference: Resolution of August 11, 2026, no. 3063).