Budget 2025: How Families, Mothers, and Children Benefit - February 2025

The Budget 2025 reflects the government’s continued commitment to providing robust support for the Malaysian citizens. This includes families, particularly focusing on mothers, children, and vulnerable groups. The budget introduces a range of financial benefits, tax reliefs, and welfare programmes. All allocated to improve healthcare, education, and child and elderly care. By doing so, the government aims to ease the financial burden on households while fostering a more inclusive society. Here's the summary of Malaysia's Budget 2025 that benefit families, mothers, and children. Medical Relief for Families Healthcare continues to be a priority in the 2025 Budget. Families can access broader income tax relief for medical treatment expenses, particularly for serious illnesses, fertility treatments, and vaccinations. The government maintains the current relief limits in these areas capped at RM10,000. However, the scope of relief for full medical check-ups and mental health consultations has been expanded. Previously capped at RM1,000, this relief will now include: Self-test kits and self-testing medical devices Disease detection exams conducted at clinics and hospitals For families with children under 18 with learning disabilities, the government is raising medical relief from RM4,000 to RM6,000. Assessments Early intervention programmes Continuous rehabilitation treatments will be raised This adjustment aims to assist families in managing the costs of specialised education and therapies for their children, enabling early diagnosis and intervention. Increased Support for Disabled Individuals The 2025 Budget includes vital revisions to tax relief for disabled individuals, providing greater financial support to families with disabled members: The income tax relief for disabled taxpayers will increase from RM6,000 to RM7,000 Relief for a disabled spouse raised from RM5,000 to RM6,000 The relief for an unmarried disabled child raised from RM6,000 to RM8,000 These revisions may help reduce the financial strain on families caring for disabled family members. Support for Sports, Health, and Elderly Care A broader scope of income tax relief is also being provided for sports activities, health, and elderly care. The existing relief of up to RM1,000 for sports equipment and activities for self, spouse, and children has been extended to include parents. This change encourages a more active and health-conscious lifestyle across generations. Other tax relief for medical check-ups for the elderly (grandparents) will now include: Vaccinations Medical treatment Special needs care Parental care expenses This cover treatments received at clinics, hospitals, and residential care centres. This expansion also includes homecare nursing and non-cosmetic dental care. Additionally, the tax exemption for child care allowances, capped at RM3,000 per year, has been extended to include elderly care. This allows employees to claim exemptions on care provided to elderly parents or grandparents. This change reflects the government’s commitment to supporting the 'sandwich generation'. Childcare and Education Support Supporting the education of Malaysia’s future generations, the government has allocated RM791 million for Early School Assistance. Every student from Standard 1 to Form 5 will receive RM150, regardless of their parents’ income. This initiative will benefit 5.2 million students across the country, easing the financial burden on families as the new school year begins in 2025. In addition to the educational support, special provisions have been made for children with disabilities. The government has allocated RM200 million to provide monthly allowances of RM150 for more than 110,000 special needs students. Furthermore, the 2025 Budget continues to support working parents by extending the income tax relief of up to RM3,000 for nursery or kindergarten fees. This relief will now be available for an additional three years, from 2025 to 2027. This move helps working parents manage the high cost of childcare and education for young children. Support for Autistic Children Families with autistic children will receive additional support through a RM33 million allocation in the 2025 Budget. This allocation will help parents cover the cost of learning fees for 30,000 autistic children, with RM15 million set aside for this purpose. The government has also earmarked RM10 million to assist private autistic schools registered with the Ministry of Education in improving their learning facilities. Additionally, RM5 million has been allocated to develop Autistic Service Centres, while RM3 million will be used to increase the allowance rate for children in institutions under the Department of Social Welfare. Childcare Fee Subsidies The 2025 Budget introduces further assistance for families with young children by allocating RM9 million for childcare fee subsidies. These subsidies are available to households earning below RM8,000 who enrol their children in government-registered nurseries (TASKA). Urban families with a per capita income below RM800 and rural families earning below RM500 will benefit from this programme. For families earning RM5,000 and below, the subsidies will extend to community nurseries, easing the cost of childcare for low- and middle-income households. Women’s Empowerment and Health Initiatives The government has allocated RM25 million to support various women’s empowerment and health programmes. These initiatives are designed to enhance women’s professionalism and leadership, particularly through programmes like the Women’s Leadership Apprenticeship (PERANTIS) and the Empowerment of Women’s Professionalism initiative. The budget also includes provisions to support single mothers, providing a pathway to financial independence. Healthcare support for women includes funding for mammogram and cervical cancer screenings, as well as post-breast cancer assistance. These initiatives highlight the government’s commitment to improving women’s health outcomes and ensuring they have access to critical preventive care and support services. Financial Aid for Underprivileged Families To further support vulnerable families, the government has allocated RM13 billion for the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programmes. These cash assistance programmes will provide up to RM100 per month to 5.4 million households and senior citizens starting in April 2025. The maximum amount for household STR recipients has been raised to RM4,600, while single individuals will receive up to RM600. These cash transfers are designed to help households meet basic living expenses and alleviate poverty across the country. Other Benefits First-time homebuyers will also benefit from the budget, with the government offering tax relief of up to RM7,000 on housing loan interest for properties valued up to RM750,000. This initiative supports young families in achieving homeownership, one of the key aspirations for many Malaysians. The Budget 2025 Is Here! The 2025 Malaysian Budget reflects the government’s focus on improving the quality of life for families, mothers, children, and vulnerable groups. Through a range of enhanced tax reliefs, financial aid programmes, and investments in healthcare, education, and childcare, the government aims to create a more supportive environment for all Malaysians. These initiatives not only help ease financial burdens but also foster greater inclusion and provide essential services to those most in need. As Malaysia continues to recover from the global challenges of recent years, the 2025 Budget stands as a testament to the government’s commitment to building a stronger and more resilient society. For more insightful stories and fun recipes, stay tuned to Motherhood Story!

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