Rs 10K ceiling on parent maintenance to be removed

The government is mulling bringing legislative changes to remove the monthly ceiling of Rs 10,000 on the maintenance paid by children to parents.

It also plans to introduce a rating mechanism for organisations providing home
care services to the elderly.

If the proposed amendments to the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (MWPSC) Act come through, the maintenance amount, which is to be decided by the senior citizen tribunals for neglected parents, will depend on their need and the economic condition of their children.

At present, the maintenance for a parent or senior citizen that the tribunal can order the children or relatives to pay cannot exceed Rs 10,000 per month.

“There have been complaints from many senior citizens’ associations that the maintenance amount was inadequate and not keeping in view the rising costs of living,” a senior official in the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment said.

A meeting involving all stakeholders, such as the senior citizens’ associations, state governments, central ministries and the National Law Commission, was held under the chairmanship of the social justice and empowerment ministry secretary recently to review
the provisions of the MWPSC Act. The MWPSC Act makes it a legal obligation for children and heirs to provide maintenance to senior citizens.