Muscat: The Social Protection Fund has announced that online registration has started to avail benefits to orphans and widows and people with disabilities as stated in the Social Protection Fund (SPF) under the Social Protection Law issued by the Royal Decree 52/2023 in July.
Applicants are requested to register only from the official website and should avoid following any shared links.
Benefits will be disbursed salaries from the end of January 2024 and there is no deadline for registration.
As per the law, an applicant can be entitled to the child benefit as well as the benefits offered to those with disabilities.
SPF said that the bank account is linked to the civil as well as the phone number, so providing updated details is necessary at the time of application.
Meanwhile, the registration service for the benefit of children and the elderly has been temporarily suspended and will be restored soon.
The benefit of orphans and widows
Article (33)
The benefit for orphans and widows is entitled to a maximum of RO80 riyals per month for an orphan or widow.
The regulations specify the controls for entitlement to the benefit for orphans and widows and the amount of the benefit if there is more than one orphan or widow, and the death of both or one of the parents, and if the orphan or widow is entitled to a pension or If a share of the pensions due from the social insurance branches is less than the value of the orphans and widows benefit, the difference between them will be paid from the orphans and widows benefit branch.
Article (34)
The following conditions are required to be eligible for the orphans’ benefit:
1 - The orphan must be Omani.
2 - One or both parents must be an orphan, and the father or parents are unknown and are considered an orphan.
3- The age of the orphan must not exceed eighteen (18) years.
4 - He must be a resident of the Sultanate of Oman by the provisions of Article (8) of this law.
Article (35)
The following conditions are required to be eligible for the widows’ benefit:
1- The widow must be Omani.
2- She must not have reached the age of the elderly.
3 - To be a resident of the Sultanate of Oman by the provisions of Article (8) of this law.
The entitlement to the widows' benefit stops after marriage, and it is not redisbursed except in the event of widowhood again.
Article (36)
It is permissible to combine the benefit for orphans and widows and all benefits and pensions except for the benefit for the elderly so that the disbursement of the widow’s benefit is stopped for the widow when she is entitled to the benefit for the elderly.
The Benefit of Persons with Disabilities
Article (31)
The benefit persons with disabilities are entitled to RO130 per month if the person meets the following conditions:
1- He must be Omani.
2 - He must have a permanent disability or a permanent illness that requires care or support as specified in the regulations.
3 - He must be a resident of the Sultanate of Oman by the provisions of Article (8) of this law.
The regulations specify the controls for entitlement to the benefit of persons with disabilities, the types of disabilities, their degree classification, the disability and permanent diseases covered, and the mechanism for proving them, after coordination with the competent authorities.
Article (32)
It is permissible to combine the benefit for persons with disabilities with all benefits and pensions except the childhood benefit and the benefit for the elderly. In the event that entitlement to the benefit for persons with disabilities coincides with the childhood benefit or the benefit for the elderly, the higher of the two shall be disbursed
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