MPs approve backdated housing payments for families cut off over record delays

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Hundreds of families cut off from housing allowances due to outdated records could finally see their dues paid in full after Parliament backed an urgent call for the government to release withheld funds.

The move, passed yesterday, follows complaints that the Housing Ministry had stopped allowances for those who had fallen behind on updating their details, even after they later met the requirements.

Many say they did what was asked, yet their payments were never reinstated.

Serious difficulty

“Despite updating their details as instructed, the ministry refuses to issue their payments retroactively, leaving them in serious difficulty,” MP Hanan Fardan said.

The freeze has left renters scrambling, with some struggling to cover loan repayments.

Many affected are on low wages and say the stoppage — however brief — has thrown their finances into chaos.

Severe impact

“Suspending payments even for a short period has had a severe impact on their ability to manage basic living costs,” she added. MP Fardan, who tabled the proposal, said the ministry’s refusal to release the withheld payments had left many in a bind.

The supporting note insists the government must “shoulder its responsibility” and ensure those owed receive what they are due under the law.