[UPDATED] Budget 2022: single parents with 3 kids can get up to RM2,500

KUALA LUMPUR – The government will allocate RM2,000 in assistance to households with three or more children with an income of RM2,500 and below a month, under its Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) scheme.

Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz told Parliament during the Budget 2022 speech today that this is an increment from the RM1,800 assistance under the previous Prihatin stimulus package.

“We’ve also received feedback on the challenges faced by single mothers as well as B40 senior citizens who lack retirement savings and do not have a stable income.

“The government will give RM500 assistance to single parents with an income of up to RM5,000. Besides that, an additional assistance of RM300 will also be granted to senior citizen households. 

“This means that single parents with three or more children are eligible for a maximum BKM assistance of RM2,500,” said Tengku Zafrul.

He said that he expects the BKM assistance will be able to benefit 9.6 million individuals with an allocation of RM8.2 billion, an increase from 8.6 million beneficiaries with an allocation of RM7 billion under BPR last year.

Meanwhile, 600,000 undergraduates from B40 families will get one tablet each, involving allocation of RM450 million.

Raising the poverty line

The requirement for welfare assistance eligibility under the Welfare Department has been raised to the 2019 food poverty line of RM1,169, instead of RM980 under the 2016 poverty line.

The senator told the lower House that this social safety network is in line with Putrajaya’s commitment to ensure that aid reaches those who need it, while taking into consideration the rising costs of living.

As such, he said, the Welfare Department has been allocated a further RM200 million for this purpose.

In total, RM2.4 billion has been allocated to assist more than 440,000 households.

Assistance for Covid-19 orphans

“Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic hit our shores, more than 4,700 children have lost their parents because of this virus. As Keluarga Malaysia, it is our responsibility to ensure that these children’s future will be taken care of.

“Next year, the government has allocated RM25 million for Yayasan Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family Foundation) as an effort to protect the welfare, education, and future of these children.”

He then called upon the corporate sector to step up and help look after these “lost children”.

Better Tenang insurance for B40 

For personal financial protection, currently eligible B40 recipients will receive a RM50 financial assistance voucher to purchase Tenang Protection (Perlindungan Tenang), including lifelong takaful and personal accidents coverage.

Next year, this initiative will be improved to RM75, where the voucher can also be used to purchase comprehensive insurance policies for motorcycles with 150cc and below, starting January 1.

“We hope that by expanding the scope of protection, B40 motorcycle riders will be able to gain more income and benefit from it,” said Tengku Zafrul.

Similarly, Putrajaya plans on giving stamp duty exemptions on Tenang as well as insurance products or takaful with a premium or contribution of not more than RM150 for each individual or RM250 for micro, small and medium enterprises.

The government will also give social security protection to housewives and widows through the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Social Security Organisation (Socso) with a RM80 million allocation for the Kasih Suri Keluarga Malaysia programme, especially for 55-year-olds and below.

Focus on children’s nutrition

Taking note of malnourished children, the government is allocating RM24 million to expand the Community Feeding Programme for children from impoverished families here, in Selangor, Johor, Penang and Putrajaya, and will target the preparation of food five times a day for 100 children between the ages of 1 and 6.

It will also expand the recipients for the Malnourished Children Recovery Programme, expected to benefit more than 1,100 children.

The government will also establish a Bank Susu Ibu (breast milk bank) for premature babies in neonatal care units in Penang, Johor, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak.

“To ensure that students from low-income families receive proper daily nutrition for complete physical and mental growth, the government will continue to supply milk on a daily basis under the Rancangan Makanan Tambahan with a RM400 million allocation.

“A part of this acquisition will focus on local milk producers,” said Tengku Zafrul.

B40 housing

On the difficulties facing the B40 group to purchase their own homes, the government will continue with affordable housing projects with a total value of RM1.5 billion.

Tengku Zafrul said the plight of gig workers, small-time entrepreneurs and farmers in purchasing a home has not gone unacknowledged.

“Some of them have the capacity to pay their housing loans but they have no evidence of a fixed income. For next year, to help this group purchase a house, the government will have a RM2 billion guarantee for banks under the Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme (Skim Jaminan Kredit Perumahan) to give financial access so this group can purchase a house,” he said. – The Vibes, October 29, 2021