The regulation on providing income support allowance for those facing employment issues due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has been amended.

This was done with the aim of providing a support allowance to those dealing with these issues since December 2019.

The amendment has been published in the government gazette as well.

While the government first publicized the regulations in May, those eligible for the income support allowance were individuals facing employment and economic issues from March. Individuals who have been terminated, put on no-pay leave or suspended from their jobs are eligible for the allowance, as long as they were was employed before March 1.

Under the support scheme, those who have been laid off or put on no-pay leave will receive the full MVR 5,000 income support allowance while individuals who have had their salaries reduced will get the difference of MVR 5,000 from their current income.

The regulations state that criminal action will be taken against individuals who provide false information to the government when applying and it has been put into effect since publication in the government gazette.

A total of MVR 35.1 million had been disbursed to 4,699 individuals as income support allowance, by August 8.