NSPA Disburses MVR 58.8 Million in Disability Assistance as Register Tops 16,000

The National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) provided MVR 58.8 million in financial assistance to persons with disabilities last month, according to the agency's statistics. The assistance was disbursed to persons with disabilities registered with the agency, with payments made to 15,862 parties. A total of 199 people were newly registered in the disability register last month, bringing the total number of registrations to 16,049. The majority of those registered are men, at 9,272, compared with 6,777 women. By age, the largest group is those between 18 and 64 years, totalling 8,131 people, including 4,143 men and 3,988 women. By disability category, physical disability accounts for the largest number of registrations at 4,300 people. This is followed by multiple disability with 3,618 people, mental disability with 2,705 people, hearing and speech disability with 1,914 people, intellectual disability with 1,805 people, visual disability with 1,050 people, autism with 594 people and learning disability with 63 people. According to other NSPA statistics, more than MVR 17 million was given as assistance last month to 3,310 single mothers or fathers caring for children while living in poverty, covering 5,666 young children. A total of 47 people were newly registered in this category. In addition, MVR 181,000 was given as assistance to children in poverty cared for by others without the support of parents, and to 100 parties who care for those children. NSPA also provided MVR 26,080 in assistance to 652 people for the purchase of food items. The statistics show that MVR 1,092,000 was given as an allowance to 546 children with thalassemia last month. NSPA also published statistics on parties removed from social protection assistance programme registers for various reasons. Three beneficiaries were removed from the programme for children in poverty cared for by others without parental support and the parties caring for them, while 60 beneficiaries were removed from the assistance programme for single mothers or fathers caring for children in poverty. Under the assistance programme for persons with disabilities, 17 women and 15 men were removed.