Beneficiaries of social security in Oman dip in 2015

Muscat: In a total of 84,644 cases in which social security benefits have been extended in the Sultanate, an amount of OMR131,861,847 has been disbursed, a bulletin issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), has revealed.
The statistics show that 2015 witnessed a decline in the number of social security cases for the first time in the Sultanate, while past years reflected a tendency of such cases rising, beginning with 71,171 cases in 2011, 81,014 in 2012, 84,631 cases in 2013 and 84,919 cases in 2014.
Social security beneficiaries from the ageing and disabled categories represented 71 per cent of the total, accounting for 33,277 cases.
They received disbursements of OMR11,250,134 while the number of beneficiaries in the disabled category stood at 26,824 with an amount of OMR9,503,612.
Between 2014 and 2015, the number of divorced women beneficiaries of social security decreased by 1.7 per cent to reach 12,198 cases which received OMR2,968,988.
The number of widows, who were beneficiaries of social security handouts, declined by 7.8 per cent. These accounted for 6,612 cases and received OMR2,402,901.
The number of female beneficiaries abandoned by their husbands dropped by 56 per cent.
In contrast, the number of cases in the category of prisoner’s family increased between 2014 and 2015 by 7.1per cent to reach 272 and they received OMR124,297.
Orphan beneficiaries were recipients of benefits in 2,900 cases, accounting for OMR942,098 while in 2,280 cases, OMR565,450 were received by unmarried girls.
In the special category involving children in need of care who were being taken care by foster families, in addition to cases of addicts and those not qualified to take care of their families, were 40 and received OMR17,933.
Beneficiaries in the age group of 60 years and above constituted 43 per cent, followed by those in the age group of 45 to 59 years at 17 per cent. Beneficiaries in the 15 to 29 years group and 30 to 44 years group each accounted for 16 per cent while the age category of 0 to 14 years comprised 8 per cent of the total cases in which social security benefits were given in the Sultanate.
The Governorate of North Al Batinahaccounted for a quarter of the total cases at 21,543, followed by the Governorate of North A’Sharqiyah with 9,405 cases and the Governorate of South Al Batinah with 9,136 cases.
The number of social security beneficiaries in the Governorate of A’Dakhiliyah stood at 9,050 cases, the Governorate of North A’Sharqiyah 8,209 cases, the Governorate of Muscat 8,109 cases and the Governorate of A’Dhahirah 6,346 cases.
In the Governorate of Dhofar, the number of cases reached 5,814, while in the Governorate of Al Buraimi, there were 3,606 cases. The Governorate of Al Wustahad 867 cases, the Governorate of Musandam 1,385 cases while the number of cases outside the Sultanate stood at 174.