The Government of the Maldives has decided to provide the disability allowance under different categories.
The government has consistently maintained its expenditure on providing disability allowances and single-parent allowances at the same level since 2014 but the proposed state budget for 2023 has increased the expenditure by 6%. The finance ministry stated that the allowances will be provided to different individuals based on their level of need for assistance. The proposed stated budget has allocated USD254 million for social welfare and USD22 million for providing assistance to people with disabilities.
There are more than 36,000 people with special needs in the Maldives, according to statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). They are currently being provided with a monthly allowance of USD129. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced plans to raise the disability allowance while delivering the Presidential Address at the Parliament of the Maldives.
Furthermore, the ministerial cabinet raised the ceiling for the single-parent allowance from USD194 to USD645 in 2019. National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) stated that single parents received USD4 million in 2021.