UAE President's steps to boost family welfare laudable, says Sharjah Ruler

His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, received on Thursday, at Al Badee Palace, Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development, and her accompanying delegation.

During the meeting, which was attended by Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations, the Sharjah Ruler was briefed on the ministry's plans aimed at enhancing community cohesion and advancing social work to achieve the stability of society and attain a decent life for the Emirati family.

Sheikh Sultan valued the generous directives and continuous follow-up of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the social sector, which affirms his keenness on the stability of the Emirati human being and his family.

Sheikh Sultan reviewed a number of Sharjah social programmes and plans to support the Emirati family.

He was also acquainted with the ministry's most prominent programmes and services to beneficiaries from all segments of society, in addition to the policies and strategies, it is working on to achieve community development.

A couple of weeks ago Sheikh Mohamed has directed the restructuring of the Social Welfare Progarmme of low-income citizens into an integrated programme worth Dhs28 billion instead of Dhs14 billion.

The move aimed at raising the annual social support allocation from Dhs2.7 billion to Dhs5 billion.

The directive of Sheikh Mohamed embodies his keenness to support low-income Emirati families to ensure family and social stability and provide the citizens with a decent life.

The programme, overseen by the Ministry of Community Development, covers various social aspects for national families with limited income, including the head of the family allowance, the wife allowance, and the children allowance.

The programme also covers financial support for housing and other basic needs such as food, water, electricity and fuel, in addition to temporary financial support for unemployed job seeker, and unemployed citizens over the age of 45.

Introducing new allowances: In detail, the programme has introduced four new allowances: housing allowance, university education allowance, the allowance for unemployed citizens over the age of 45, and the allowance for the unemployed job seekers.

The new programme includes a housing allowance between Dhs1,500 to Dhs2,500 per month until the family obtains government housing.

Applicants who live with their parents or any other family are entitled to 60% of these amounts. This allowance does not apply to those who obtain government housing subsidy or own a house registered in their names. Beneficiaries will stop receiving this allowance once acquiring government housing.

Allowance to unemployed citizens over the age of 45 It is one of the new financial subsidies within the social welfare programme, where a fixed subsidy is granted starting from Dhs2,000 to Dhs5,000 per month according to the age of the unemployed citizens.

WAM