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Saint Lucia To Halt Public Assistance To Ineligible Hundreds

The Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, and Empowerment plans to halt financial assistance to over 700 people in its Public Assistance Programme (PAP) who do not qualify.

PAP supports the underprivileged, impoverished, marginalized, and the most vulnerable segments of society.

“There are persons on public assistance who ought not to be, and we will be communicating with them to get them off,” Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Joachim Henry told reporters.

The Ministry applies a Cabinet-approved national eligibility tool to determine entry into the PAP .

Under the programme, over three thousand households receive a monthly grant ranging from $215 to about $450.

However, because the situation of the over 700 currently on the programme has improved, the Ministry of Equity is seeking to wean them off. 

An additional 1, 500 new applicants have met the eligibility requirements.

But Minister Joachim Henry disclosed that the existing ‘fiscal space’ cannot accommodate them.

As a result, his Ministry is realigning and strengthening the Public Assistance Programme through a graduation strategy.

The aim is to empower beneficiaries and foster economic independence.

According to the Equity Ministry, empowering individuals rather than fostering dependence on social support services is central to the initiative’s success.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. This becomes news now when election come around the corner look who going to go the distance to reverse this to get vote and continue to abuse it for their own gain. This is corruption at its best. 700 off the list look RK loose votes wild or perhaps he might take them in.

  2. It makes sense that some people who were once eligible for public assistance are not eligible anymore because the system works. Because of the support from PAP 700 persons were able to get back on their feet so to speak and are no longer in need. That is impressive.

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