Son must repay father for maintenance while on state aid, court rules

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A young man who secretly collected unemployment aid while still collecting child maintenance from his divorced father has been ordered by a Sharia Court to return the money.

The father, represented by lawyer Jassim Al Issa, filed the case after discovering his son had applied for government assistance without informing him.

He alleged that despite having completed his education and reached adulthood, the son continued to accept his father’s financial support.

The Ministry of Labour confirmed the son collected unemployment benefits for at least two months. The Social Insurance Organisation also verified that the son was unemployed at the time.

Based on which, the judge ruled that the father’s legal obligation to provide child maintenance ended once the son became eligible for state aid.

Mother contested the ruling, arguing that a previous court decision had upheld the maintenance payments. She claimed the benefits were temporary and did not justify the termination of support.

However, the court determined that the son’s ability to apply for and receive aid demonstrated financial independence, making further support from his father unnecessary.

As a result, the child maintenance payments were revoked from the date the son started receiving unemployment benefits. Additionally, the son and his mother were ordered to cover BD20 in legal costs and BD101 in execution fees.