Legislature submitted to increase disability allowance to MVR 7,000

Legislature has been submitted to the Parliament to amend the Act on Protection of Rights and Financial Assistance to Persons with Disabilities and increase the current disability allowance to an amount in the range of MVR 5,000 to MVR 7,000.

The legislature, submitted by Dhangethi MP Colonel (Retired) Mohamed Nazim, calls for the establishment of a special registry for persons with disabilities, and a ranking system.

It stipulates that everyone on the disability registry is eligible to a monthly allowance of MVR 5,000 to MVR 7,000 the moment the amendment is enacted up until his/her name is removed from the register.

It additionally stipulates that persons who are bedridden for a long period of time due to a disability must be awarded a monthly allowance of minimum MVR 9,000.

Presenting the legislature, Nazim said that an increase in disability allowance was essential to effectively assist persons with disabilities.

Legislature to increase the disability allowance is not new to the Parliament. Similar legislature, designed to increase the allowance to MVR 5,000, which was submitted during the previous parliamentary assembly, failed to make any headway.