Do solo parents get a discount on baby and child needs?
Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
Yes — but it is income-tested. RA 11861 (Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act) grants a 10% discount and VAT exemption on certain baby and child necessities (such as milk, food and micronutrient supplements, diapers, medicines, and vaccines) to a solo parent earning less than ₱250,000 a year, for a child until the child turns six (6) years old. This is separate from the senior/PWD 20% purchase discount. You claim it using your Solo Parent ID; confirm the current list of covered items and the income proof required with the DSWD and your issuing office.
Primary sources
Frequently asked
How big is the solo-parent discount and who qualifies?
RA 11861 Section 15 grants a 10% discount plus VAT exemption on specified baby and child needs to a solo parent whose annual income is less than ₱250,000. It applies until the child reaches six (6) years old.
What items are covered?
The law lists baby and child necessities such as milk, food and micronutrient supplements, diapers, medicines, and vaccines. Because the exact covered list is fixed by the implementing rules, confirm the current items with DSWD or the establishment before purchasing.
Is this the same as the senior/PWD 20% discount?
No. The senior citizen and PWD 20% discount plus VAT exemption is a different benefit (covered in the Healthcare cluster). The solo-parent benefit is a 10% discount plus VAT exemption, is income-tested (under ₱250,000/year), and is limited to specified baby/child needs.
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Government IDs, pensions, and non-medical welfare for seniors, PWDs, solo parents, and poor families — how to get the senior citizen (OSCA) ID and its benefits (RA 9994), the monthly social pension for indigent seniors (RA 11916), the centenarian and milestone-age cash gifts (RA 10868 as amended by RA 11982), the PWD ID and who qualifies and the employer hiring incentive (RA 7277 as amended by RA 9442 and RA 10754), the Solo Parent ID and who counts as a solo parent and the 10% discount on baby needs (RA 8972 as amended by RA 11861), who qualifies for 4Ps and the cash-grant structure and conditions (RA 11310), the non-medical DSWD AICS help (burial, educational, transportation, food) and how to apply, replacing a lost ID, and your right to have these IDs issued free of charge without a fixer (RA 11032). The senior/PWD 20% purchase discount and DSWD medical assistance are in the Healthcare & Hospitals cluster.