Administration Reveals New Disability Financial Support Framework

Last Thursday, the administration revealed a new upgraded financial support framework for disabled people. The announcement was made following the decision of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, guided by recommendations from the cabinet to review and increase the amount of disability financial support provided to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). Under the new framework, new benefits were also introduced to PWDs.

During a special press conference held on Thursday, the announcement was made by Aishath Mohmed Didi, Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services. She was joined at the press conference by Miuvaan Mohamed, Spokesperson at the President's Office; Mariyam Shafeeg, Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA); and Ismail Azzam Wajeeh, Managing Director of Aasandha Company Pvt. Ltd.

With this new change, the baseline disability allowance has risen by 50% after revision with new perks added after careful evaluation of situational severity and types of assistive care required by PWDs. These shifts are expected to total the overall allowance to MVR 6000, a significant adjustment compared to previous assistance. NSPA will be publishing further details about the increments later on.

The current administration is committed to protecting the rights of PWDs. As such, it launched a programme in 2019 which allowed the government to cover the treatment costs of PWDs. Moreover, the administration has also developed and publicized the first guideline in the Maldives for categorizing PWDs. Likewise, a register has been set up for PWDs in an effort to ensure reliable data management, enabling decentralized stakeholders to also handle and access data effectively.