An overhaul of the way needy residents are protected and assisted by government is gathering momentum.
The Social Protection Act of 2020 sought to help people secure appropriate living standards, and accessible and affordable life necessities.
Under its predecessor – the Poor Relief Act 1961 – there were no clear eligibility criteria to identify poor and vulnerable individuals and decisions were made on a case-by-case basis.
The new act remedies this and the Ministry of Social Transformation has now completed the first phase of reregistering the country’s social protection beneficiaries.
Eligibility criteria include a household income of less than EC$1,500 a month. Target groups are those aged 65-plus in a low-income household of two people or less; single parents with low income and two or more dependents; low-income households with three or more dependents; and low-income households which include people with severe disabilities.
For more information call 562-7515/6, email [email protected] or visit the Social Protection Board headquarters on Cross Street for an application form.