President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Tuesday has decided to review and amend the Single Parent Allowance Programme with cabinet recommendations.
According to the president’s office, the Cabinet Ministers reflected on the Single Parent Allowance Programme paper, mentioning concerns over the eligibility of the programme, submitted by the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services, on behalf of the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA).
Many single parents were left banded from receiving the allowance due to the changes brought to the programme in 2016. However, the new amendment will prevent any barriers keeping them from receiving the benefits.
The revision of the ‘minimum unit’, the terminology used to classify those below the poverty line and levitating the top limit for Single Parent Allowance from MVR 3,000 to MVR 10,000 are
some important decisions agreed upon at the Cabinet session.
The Cabinet also recommended that the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services have the authority to declare the ‘Income Threshold’ of single-parent households based on individual situations.
The decision also included an additional clause allowing single parents of children with special needs to receive both the allowance for housing a child with special needs as well as the Single Parent Allowance.
