Government Sets New Monthly Cap of MVR 12,000 for Single Parent Aid

Starting 1 January 2026, eligible single parents in the Maldives will receive MVR 3,000 per child for up to four children, with a total monthly cap of MVR 12,000.

On Friday, the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) published the third amendment to the Regulation on Providing Financial Assistance to Single Parents, increasing the amount a parent can receive per child, up to four children, to MVR 3,000. The monthly maximum was set at MVR 12,000, with an annual cap of MVR 144,000.

advertisement

This followed a second amendment published by the NSPA the previous day, which introduced the same per-child increment but included an additional provision allowing eligible parents to receive MVR 1,000 for each child beyond four, raising the monthly cap to MVR 15,000 and the annual cap to MVR 180,000.

This amendment comes into effect on January 1, 2026.

The regulation, first introduced in 2016, initially provided MVR 1,000 per child, with a monthly cap of MVR 3,000. A first amendment in 2019 increased the total cap per parent to MVR 10,000 while keeping the per-child rate at MVR 1,000.

The regulation specifies eligibility criteria for both single parents and their children. Applicants must be raising a child without the support of a spouse, have a monthly income below the poverty line, be unmarried, and ensure the children live with them. Divorced applicants must wait three months after filing for aid, while widows and widowers are exempt.

Eligible children must be Maldivian, not registered under the disability registry and receiving disability assistance, attend school if of mandatory school age, and be vaccinated. Exceptions apply for married applicants whose spouse is serving a prison sentence of over six months, or if children or parents live elsewhere for education, healthcare, or income purposes.

ފަޤީރު ހާލަތުގައި ދިރިއުޅޭ އެކަނި ދަރިން ބަލަހައްޓާ މައިން ނުވަތަ ބަފައިންނަށް ދެވޭ މާލީ އެހީ
ނޮވެންބަރު 2025 pic.twitter.com/2DBxL7YkJc— NSPA (@NSPAmaldives) December 14, 2025

According to the statistics released by NSPA, last month, 2,895 single parents in the Maldives received financial assistance, including 48 newly registered parents and 96 new children. In total, 4,940 children were receiving aid, with the government spending MVR 4,941,000 last month.