Change in safety net programmes

Change in safety net programmes

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Details: Parent Category: Dec 2011; Category: Week ending Dec 24th, 2011; Published on Monday, 26 December 2011 11:46; Hits: 623

Three of the 20 government's safety net programmes will be grouped as one from the new year. In making the announcement, Social Development Minister Sylvester Quarless identified the three as being the public assistance programme, the necessitous programme, and the students transportation allowance programme.

As of January 2012, these programmes will now be known as the Support for Education Empowerment and Development (SEED) Programme.

Minister Quarless said that with assistance from a World Bank loan of close to US$5 million, his ministry was given the mandate by government to bring the three safety net programmes together for better management.

He disclosed that the ministry will now develop a data base to become knowledgeable of the operation of the new programme.

"Bringing these three programmes together... what we are doing now is making sure that the benefits will go to those it is intended to reach," he said.

Under the previous system, some 1,420 students benefiting from the necessitous fund programme, and 1,722 beneficiaries from the students transportation allowance programme.

In addition, there are 4,100 persons benefiting from the public assistance programme.

Accumulatively, there are 7,242 persons benefiting through the three programmes.

An assessment will be done by the Ministry of Social Development from January of those who are currently on the programmes and the possibility of accepting new applicants.

Minister Quarless disclosed that with the agreement of the World Bank, the plan is to have an additional ten percent of persons getting benefits from the programme.

He added that the aim of the SEED programme is to target more families with a view to reducing poverty levels on the island.

The poor families will be ranked in the categories of amount of children, disabled, chronically ill, the elderly, pregnant and lactating mothers, and adult poor.

According to Minister Quarless, with the agreement of the World Bank, government has decided to cap the assistance given to each family at $375.00 so as to ensure that they share co-responsibilities.

"It is not just giving you the assistance, but it is incumbent upon the families to help themselves and to do certain things to ensure that they move out of the position they are in at the moment," he said.

The senior government minister stressed that one of the core responsibilities expected to be shared by a family is ensuring that students, in particular, attend school eighty-five percent of the time, and also that the elderly do their health checks.

He said government is aware of the high demand, but they are creating that particular safety net so that persons will not fall through the cracks.

The new programme is the first step to social safety net reform in Grenada.