The President decided on the matter during the Cabinet meeting held today. 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).
The amendment brought to the programme in 2016 left many single parents barred from receiving the allowance. The new amendment will pave the way to breakdown any barriers keeping them from receiving the benefits.
Some important decisions agreed upon at the Cabinet session 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 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.
