President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Tuesday decided to review and amend the Single Parent Allowance Programme with recommendations from the Cabinet.
The President made the decision during a Cabinet meeting held at the President's Office.
Cabinet Ministers deliberated on the Single Parent Allowance Programme paper, citing 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).
Following amendments made in 2016, many single parents were barred from receiving allowances, according to the President's Office. They assured that this amendment would break barriers preventing single parents from receiving benefits.
Some important decisions agreed upon at the Cabinet meeting include the revision of the 'minimum unit', the terminology used to classify those below the poverty line, and raising the ceiling for Single Parent Allowance from MVR 3,000 to MVR 10,000.
The Cabinet also recommended that Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services be granted authority to declare the 'Income Threshold' of single-parent households based on individual situations.
Furthermore, it was decided to include 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.
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