Referral of the Lawsuit to Increase the Maximum Alimony Paid to Divorced Women by Nasser Social Bank to the State Commissioners Authority.. Hearing Scheduled for November 15
On August 2, 2025, the Administrative Court of the State Council referred to the State Commissioners Authority a lawsuit filed by the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights, acting on behalf of citizen Sara S. A., against the Prime Minister, the Minister of Social Solidarity, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Pensions, and the Chairperson of Nasser Social Bank. The action seeks the annulment of the negative administrative decision to refrain from increasing the maximum alimony paid by Nasser Social Bank to divorced women and their children pursuant to enforceable alimony judgments. The case is scheduled for hearing before the State Commissioners Authority on November 15, 2025.
The statement of claim asserts that the plaintiff, a mother of two, obtained final judicial rulings awarding her a monthly alimony of EGP 1,000 for her children. As she was unable to enforce the judgment against the children’s father, she applied to Nasser Social Bank for payment in accordance with the law. She was, however, informed that the bank disburses only EGP 500 per family, the maximum amount established under Minister of Justice Decision No. 2722 of 2004, irrespective of the court-awarded amount, the number of children, or prevailing living conditions.
The claim contends that Nasser Social Bank—established by law as a public entity mandated to support the most vulnerable groups—has failed to take into account the current economic circumstances. The maximum alimony remains fixed at EGP 500 per month, an amount insufficient to meet even the most basic needs of children, despite nearly two decades having passed since this ceiling was set and notwithstanding the substantial increase in the bank’s financial resources.
The lawsuit argues that maintaining this cap constitutes a direct violation of the Egyptian Constitution, which obliges the State to protect the family, motherhood, and childhood, as well as Egypt’s international human rights obligations guaranteeing children and their mothers the right to a decent standard of living and to receive the alimony to which they are legally entitled.
It further highlights that Nasser Social Bank requires beneficiaries to surrender the original enforceable copy of the alimony judgment in exchange for payment, thereby depriving mothers of the ability to pursue additional legal measures to recover the outstanding balance of the court-ordered alimony.
The plaintiff also notes that the EGP 500 ceiling—equivalent in 2004 to approximately USD 100—has become grossly inadequate in light of currency depreciation and rising prices, particularly given that the statutory minimum wage in Egypt reached EGP 7,000 per month in 2025.
Accordingly, the lawsuit seeks an order compelling the relevant government authorities to increase the maximum alimony in proportion to economic changes, and to index it to the exchange rate, wage levels, or inflation rates, so as to guarantee beneficiary families at least the minimum standard of a dignified life. It further observes that the Family Insurance Fund, which administers these payments, has experienced substantial revenue growth in recent years through various fees and taxes earmarked for this purpose.
The Family Insurance Fund, affiliated with Nasser Social Bank, was established under Law No. 11 of 2004 to safeguard families from the consequences of spouses or fathers failing to pay alimony. However, the bank’s current policy of maintaining a low fixed ceiling has drawn broad human rights criticism for hindering the enforcement of judicial rulings and exacerbating the hardship faced by women breadwinners and their children.
