UAE introduces new insurance plan for Indian workers offering compensation of up to Dh75,000

The insurance plan, which covers people aged between 18 and 70, will require employers to pay between Dh37 and Dh72 a year for each worker.

The United Arab Emirates has introduced a new insurance scheme for Indian workers, guaranteeing compensation of up to Dh75,000 for their families in the event of the worker’s death, whether due to accidents or natural causes. Known as the Life Protection Plan (LPP), this scheme came into effect on March 1, the Indian Consulate in Dubai announced on Tuesday.

The LPP was created to address a gap in employment benefits for the 2.27 million blue-collar workers in the United Arab Emirates, according to the consulate.

Although some companies offer insurance for work-related accidents and deaths, coverage is not required for when employees die naturally. This leaves many families without money to bring their loved ones home if they die. To solve this problem, the Indian Consulate helped organize a meeting between large UAE companies that hire blue-collar workers and two insurance companies.

The insurance plan costs between Dh37 and Dh72 each year for people aged 18 to 70. If a worker dies due to an accident or natural causes, his or her beneficiaries can receive compensation of 35,000 to 75,000 dirhams, depending on the premium chosen. Additionally, the plan covers Dh12,000 to bring the worker’s body to their home country. Two insurance companies created this package for blue-collar workers and then the details were discussed with the recruiting companies.

Here is an overview of the policy:

• For the policy with an annual premium of 72 dirhams, the compensation is 75,000 dirhams.
• For 50 dirhams a year, that’s 50,000 dirhams.
• For 37 dirhams, that’s 35,000 dirhams.

1,000 worker deaths in 2023

In 2023, there were around 1,000 worker deaths out of a total of 1,513 recorded deaths, according to the Indian Consulate. About 3.5 million Indians live in the UAE, of whom about 65 percent are manual workers. Consul General Satish Sivan highlighted the importance of the well-being of the Indian community and encouraged companies to consider subscribing to the Life Protection Plan (LPP) to provide financial benefits to the families of deceased workers.

News Source: Khaleej Times