Muscat : The Social Protection Fund has announced online registration to benefit orphans, widows, and people with disabilities as per the Social Protection Fund (SPF) under the Social Protection Law issued by the Royal Decree 52/2023 in July.
Applicants have been requested to register only through the official website and refrain from following any shared links. The benefits will be disbursed from the end of January 2024 with no deadline for registration.
As per the law, an applicant can be entitled to the child benefit and 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 Fund said in a statement. Article (33) states that the benefit for orphans and widows is entitled to a maximum of RO 80 per month.
The regulations specify the controls for entitlement to the benefit for orphans and widows and the benefit amount if there is more than one orphan or widow. 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.
Conditions required to be eligible for the orphans' benefit include that the orphans must be Omani, one or both parents must be orphans, the father or parents are unknown and are considered orphans, and the age of the orphans must not exceed 18 years.
It must be a resident of the Sultanate of Oman. Article 35 states conditions required to be eligible for the widows' benefit are the widow must be an Omani, must not have reached the age of the elderly, 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) states that it is permissible to combine the benefits 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.
Article 31 states that benefit persons with disabilities are entitled to RO130 per month if the person meets the following conditions: Must be Omani, must have a permanent disability or a permanent illness that requires care or support as specified in the regulations, and must be a resident of the Sultanate of Oman.
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 states that 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.
If 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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