GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO PROVIDE INCOME SUPPORT
People who were affected by the passage of Hurricane Beryl on July 1st, 2024 have been promised continued assistance by the government as EC$22 million has been further allocated to provide support.
Speaking on radio last week, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves spoke about the continuation and expansion of the government’s direct financial assistance program to families affected by Hurricane Beryl.
He said that the various government ministries are currently updating the assistance lists in an effort to include persons that were left out and to make sure people are not benefitting from more than one of the government’s assistance program.
The Prime Minister said the ministries are currently involved in the rigorous vetting of the beneficiary lists, especially in cases where families may have received support through agriculture or fisheries programs.
As of mid-April, 4,604 persons had already received their first payment of EC $1,800, with the figure increasing following public outreach and a surge in valid inquiries after the PM made a statement on radio urging people who were eligible and had not come forward to do so.
“Every time I talk, the numbers go up,” said Dr. Gonsalves, referencing the over 800 additional inquiries received after his April 15 briefing. “We’ve now set a deadline for complaints and late registrations up to 4 PM on Friday, to finalize the next round of payments.”
The PM said that the deadline is necessary for budgeting, but good sense means that provisions may still be made for late or previously unregistered cases through a separate program.
