National social security allowance raised by 75% :: GN

Quote:

President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has ordered a 75 per cent increase in the monthly social assistance for UAE nationals benefiting from the social security programme in the country. The order takes effect from October 1. "Shaikh Khalifa has instructed the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to rapidly take the necessary steps for the implementation of this increment for all categories benefiting from the social assistance in the country," said the order, according to WAM.

In all, 67,102 people benefit from the programme and they received Dh658 million last year. The categories benefiting from the programme include divorced women, widows, elderly people, disabled people, abandoned women, non-married women, married students, prisoners' families, low-income families, and families whose breadwinners have died, according to officials.

Plainly, 75% is a large increase and more than offsets the effect of inflation. The increase in oil revenues are, in part, being shared with those on social assistance.

UPDATE. There is also a considerable increase in the number of persons covered. From the Khaleej Times:

There is expected to be a 50 per cent jump in the number of beneficiaries under the social security scheme and a large number of them will be low salary earners following the 75 per cent increase in the social aid budget at the national level. There are an estimated 70,000 persons covered by social security at present. Abdullah Salem Al Shamsi, Head of the Social Aid Department at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs noted that after the increase more numbers of people are expected to be eligible to join the social security, especially among those who earn low salaries.
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As per the regulations of the social security scheme, an individual who earns a salary lower than the highest amount paid through the scheme is eligible to benefit from the social aid, he elaborated. "With the increase of the social aid amount to Dh 2,187 from Dh 1,250 a significant numbers of people will be eligible to join the scheme . . . ," he further explained. . . .
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The social aid has increased for the second member of the family to Dh 1312 from Dh 750, and for each following member to Dh 656 from Dh 375, he said.