National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) has stated that categorising disabilities will speed up services.
The government has decided to provide the disability allowance under different categories based on the level of need for assistance. Speaking to PSM News on the changes, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NSPA Mariyam Shafeeq said that people with disabilities will be categorised based on the level of need for assistance through consultation with doctors. She also that a special registry is being formulated.
Additionally, Mariyam said providing disability allowances under different categories will make it easier for people with disabilities to receive services, as the biggest challenge in providing services is obtaining detailed information on the individual. She said categorising the disabilities will speed up this process by anticipating the needs of the individual beforehand, for example procuring necessities such as hearing aids by evaluating their information prior to them seeking services. She further said that raising the disability allowance is one of the most important changes.
The government has consistently maintained its expenditure on providing disability allowances and single-parent allowances at the same level since 2014 but the 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 and 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.