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Senior Citizen Protection Act or Maintenance and Welfare of Senior Citizen Act, 2007, ensures children care for their parents in old age.
Children, according to the act, refer to a daughter or son with means to support their parents' basic needs to lead a normal life but exempt minors; in case of no children, any relative is a valid option.
Any senior citizen aged 70 or above who cannot financially support themselves is eligible to appeal for maintenance.
An appeal can be made under Section 4 of the act by anyone who does not have sufficient or a generated source of income.
The tribunal can ask the children to pay up to Rs 10,000 monthly for maintenance, which they have to pay, or else they may face punishment.
Under this act, a state must build at least one old age home in each district and provide medical care to senior citizens.
If the children or the relative fail to pay monthly maintenance, they can be imprisoned for one month or till the payment is made.
A property transferred to the child or relative will be legally void and considered made by coercion or fraud if they stop paying maintenance.