The government announced today a raft of social protection measures aimed at safeguarding the most vulnerable members of society. 

At a special function held this morning in Dharubaaruge’, the government outlined policies to support people on low incomes, the disabled, elderly people and single parents. 

Chairman of National Social Protection Agency Mr Ibrahim Waheed and Deputy Minister of Health and Family Mariya Ali provided a detailed account of the government’s main welfare benefits. This benefits include old age pensions, the Madhana health insurance scheme, benefits for single parents, benefits for foster parents, electricity subsidies, emergency healthcare assistance, benefits for the poor, housing benefits and hep for the visually impaired.

They explained that: 

- The government started giving old-age benefits in 1 January 2009. 13,500 people have been given old-age benefits of Rf2,000 by January 2010.

- Government employees, their families and people over 65 years are already included under the Madhana health insurance scheme. Government records show that 55,700 people have been treated under this scheme. 

- Benefits for single-parents were started on 1 May 2010, with Rf1,000 per month given for each child.

- Foster parents will receive Rf.500 per month for each foster child, and foster children will also each be given Rf.1000 per month.

- From January 2009 to April 2010, a total of Rf.38,574,662 has been spent on 5,615 people for emergency healthcare. 

- From January 2009 till April 2010, 1,020 poor people have been provided with benefits.

- Households earning less than Rf25,000 per month will be eligible for some social housing benefits and households earning Rf5,000 or less per month will receive full social housing benefits. These benefits will be announced shortly. 

- Since October 2009, electricity subsidies have been restructured to focus on helping the most vulnerable. 

The government has stopped subsiding the electricity company and instead introduced direct subsidies for individual households. The government will subsidise the first 400 units of electricity, for everyone, for the next five months. As a result, for those households that use less than 400 units of electricity (which is 60% of households in Male’) prices will be lower with the new subsidy than they were in 2008. 

- Benefits for the visually impaired have been increased from Rf 500 to Rf 1,500 per month, covering about 426 people. 

Speaking at the function, President Nasheed said that the government was “compassionate” and “determined to support the most vulnerable people in society”.

“Without some state benefits it would be difficult for poor people to stand on their own two feet,” the President added.