Nafis clarifies conditions for eligibility under the UAE child allowance scheme.
Dubai: Emirati women in the private sector will be eligible for child allowance benefits under the Nafis programme only if specific conditions are met, as authorities broaden family support measures while refining eligibility requirements.
A programme aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of Emirati talent said that working Emirati women married to UAE nationals may receive child allowance benefits only under specific conditions, including cases where the husband is deceased or where the woman is the primary provider for her children, according to Emarat Al Youm. In such situations, financial responsibility must be confirmed through a court ruling, along with documentation showing that the husband is unable to work or is unemployed.
Nafis clarified that Emirati women in the private sector married to non-UAE nationals are not eligible for the allowance, as the programme does not currently include such a provision.
The government has also removed the cap on the number of eligible children, expanding it beyond the previous limit of four. The benefit remains Dh600 per child, for employees earning up to Dh50,000, with around 38,000 children covered.
The move is intended to strengthen family stability and improve quality of life, in line with the UAE’s “Year of the Family 2026” and the broader national agenda for family development through 2031.
Since its introduction, the child allowance programme has progressed in stages, starting with a regulatory framework, followed by monthly payments initially limited to four children, and now expanded to include all eligible children without restriction.
Nafis also detailed eligibility requirements, noting that beneficiaries must work in the private sector, banking, financial, or insurance industries, earn between Dh6,000 and Dh50,000, and receive wages through the Wage Protection System or an approved alternative.
The allowance applies to male children until adulthood or employment, and to female children until marriage or employment. Applicants must not receive a government salary or pension, except in certain inheritance cases, and must not hold ownership stakes in their employer.
