The allowance for persons with disabilities was raised on Thursday as pledged by the government.
The increase was announced by gender minister Aishath Mohamed and the heads of Aasandha and the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) at a press briefing. All persons with disabilities will receive at least MVR 3000 in place of the current MVR 2000.
In addition, a care allowance of MVR 2000 for persons who are bed-ridden or unable to live on their own and a self-care allowance of MVR 1000 for their essential needs were introduced.
If there are more than three disabled persons in one household, the government said each additional person would receive MVR 1000.
The disability allowance framework was revised for the first time since it was introduced 12 years ago following calls for increasing the allowance.
In July 2019, Dhagethi MP Mohamed Nazim, the presidential candidate of the Maldives National Party, submitted a bill to raise the allowance.
But the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party's (MDP) majority in parliament rejected the bill, which proposed allowances between MVR 5000 and MVR 7000.
It was rejected because a bill that would impose a financial burden was proposed without consulting the government, MDP said at the time.
A petition with signatures gathered from across the country calling for the allowance to be raised to MVR 5000 was submitted to president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in late 2021.
The petition was initiated by Mohamed Irufan, Ali Juaid and Ali Fayaz - three young persons with disabilities from Haa Alif Ihavandhoo island.
The petition stated that MVR 2000 was inadequate in consideration of the current price of goods and services in the country. The petition requested the allowance to be raised to a minimum of MVR 5000.
"Considering the general standard of living, the present financial benefit is insufficient to meet even basic needs such as food and clothing," the petition stated.
Solih's decision to raise the allowance was first announced in the 2022 presidential address. A year later, the president said in this year's presidential address that the allowance would be raised in June.
