RIYADH: Abdullah Al-Sadhan, assistant undersecretary for the social security department said that the ministry is launching a mobile social service convoy to reach remote areas.
“Social security system is designated not only to benefit orphans, the disabled, the elderly and women and families with no breadwinner but also to seek new needy cases — where people do not seek help out of pride,” said Al-Sadhan.
He denied that the new convoy service was a result of an inadequacy of previous methods, stressing that it is a result of annual and periodical research and field studies to reach to the needy in areas where social security offices do not exist.
“The western coast and the southern areas are to be targeted by the convoy due to the population density in those areas and the difficulty people face to reach distant social security offices,” Al-Sadhan said.
The mobile convoy tours the targeted areas while social services officers search for the needy, according to Al-Sadhan, and register those who fit the conditions into the ministry’s database.
“Once a resolution is issued to grant the eligible a monthly allowance, they are handed ATM cards,” says Al-Sadhan. “Follow ups of the cases will be done by the nearest social security affairs office.”
“Statistics of the increasing numbers of social security beneficiaries indicate that the old methods and processes used to reach the needy — through government and nongovernmental channels — are still carried out and proven to be effective. The surveys and field studies carried out by the offices reflect the positive notion of the beneficiaries of the monthly allowances.”
With regards to the possibility of increasing the monthly allowances and aid to counter inflation, he assured that the new social security system had doubled the previous amounts given to the beneficiaries. “The annual allowance for one person used to be SR4,500, and it has been increased to SR9,400 annually,” he said, adding that social security allocation were increased by 10 percent by a Council of Ministers’ decision.
“In addition to the annual and monthly allowances, the social security provides supporting programs such as the Productive Families Program where the productive projects of a family is supported to enable them to earn a living; the Supplementary Supporting Program for young men with limited income and supporting a family; the School Uniform and Bag program; and a program to pay water and electricity bills,” he said, adding that there are other programs under study and will soon be implemented.
The social security system offers beneficiaries SR9,400 annually and SR3,100 for every additional member of the family, provided that a family of eight members should not receive more than SR31,100 annually. The lump sum is offered to cases approved by the undersecretary, according to certain specified regulations and should not exceed SR30,000 for each case, provided that the beneficiary is over 40 years old.
