MP pushes for jobless pay for freelancers

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A proposal aiming to give self-employed Bahrainis a chance to draw jobless pay during bouts of ill-health has been tabled by MP Jalal Kadhem.

His amendment to the 2006 Unemployment Insurance Decree would let freelancers and people running their own businesses voluntarily sign up for an insurance scheme currently reserved for employed workers.

Those affected by illness or injury, unrelated to work, would become eligible for monthly payments equal to 60 per cent of their average earnings, capped at BD1,000, provided the medical condition lasts no fewer than 30 days.

To claim the support, the person must be Bahraini, aged at least 18, registered in the voluntary insurance scheme, and dependent solely on their profession for income. The incapacity has to be medically certified by authorised committees.

Serious hurdles

Kadhem pointed out clearly in his explanatory note how people working for themselves face serious hurdles whenever sickness puts their livelihoods on pause.

“These individuals face major challenges in the event of a temporary health condition that prevents them from performing their work,” he wrote. “This leads to a complete halt in monthly income, negatively affecting the morale, finances, and mental wellbeing of the entire family.”

The proposal creates a new category of “voluntarily insured person”, covering freelancers and self-employed citizens who join the voluntary social insurance scheme.