What are the legal provisions for supporting the elderly? Is it illegal to fail to perform maintenance obligations?

It is illegal not to support the elderly. Respecting the elderly is the traditional virtue of Chinese citizens, and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the elderly is guaranteed by our Constitution and other laws and regulations. For their elderly parents, who have no or no ability to work, or can't take care of themselves and live independently, they are obliged to support them as children and have the ability to support them.

The extended information "Marriage Law" stipulates that husband and wife, parents and children, adoptive parents and children have the obligation to support each other; Stepparents and daughters, grandparents, grandparents and grandchildren, grandchildren, brothers and sisters also have the obligation to support each other under certain conditions. In addition, according to the legislative spirit and the requirements of socialist morality, the actually formed dependency relationship should also be confirmed and protected. For those who have the obligation to support, they shall not refuse to support. However, if the supporter is unable to support due to natural and man-made disasters, low income and other reasons, it does not belong to refusing to support.

For their elderly parents, they have no or no ability to work, or they can't take care of themselves, so they can't live independently. As children, they have the obligation to support, but they have the ability to support but they don't, which leads to their parents being forced to commit suicide because they are abandoned; Those who are homeless because they have no life, and so on. If the case constitutes a crime, criminal responsibility shall be investigated for the crime of abandonment in accordance with the provisions of Article 261 of the Criminal Law.