- SVG PUBLIC ASSISTANCE TRANSITION FROM CASH TO CARD IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
The Ministry of National Mobilisation, which is in charge of the national portfolio of social protection for the indigent, poor, and vulnerable, gained Cabinet approval in August 2021 to pilot the BOSVG Reloadable Card Payment Mechanism with 500 beneficiaries.
For a six-month period ending December 2022, this Payment Mechanism was expanded to the VEEP Project for three thousand, nine hundred and ninety-four (3,994) beneficiaries and the Covid19 Relief Income Support Project for six hundred and eighty (680) recipients.
The Cabinet-approved Pilot, which began in August 2021, was approved with the intention of expanding to all components of the Public Assistance Programme, beginning with the Vulnerability Grant, which supports the Poor Relief Programme with an average of four thousand, seven hundred and seventy-five (4,775) beneficiaries per month, per year.
To ease the transition to card payments, the BOSVG will charge an administrative cost of $16,000 per year, which has been included in the Budget submission for Budget (2023-2025), for a maximum of 10,000 beneficiary cards to be built and maintained.
A smooth transition to reloadable card payments for Public Assistance recipients is required to lower the operating expenses and dangers connected with the cash system while expanding beneficiaries’ financial freedom options.
APPROVED RECOMMENDATIONS:
Place a temporary hold on all Board approvals, for enrollment of newly approved beneficiarieson the Poor Relief payment list, during the period of assessment of (December 8, 2022 – February 24, 2023).
Conduct Socio-economic Household Assessments(for existing beneficiaries and their households) and Vulnerability Assessments on existing beneficiaries, during the period (December 8, 2022 – February 24, 2023).
Commence a BOSVG Reloadable Card Piloted Payment Initiative for two months, during the period, (January 9 – February 28 2022), for all three hundred and sixty-eight (368) beneficiaries, where they are both on Poor Relief and VEEP Beneficiary lists simultaneously.
Continue paymentsusing the existing cash method, to all other Poor Relief beneficiaries during the period of Assessments (December 8, 2022 – February 24, 2023), pending the outcome and approval of the findings per beneficiary, which determines Recertification on the programme, using the BOSVG Reloadable Card Payment Mechanism for recertified and new beneficiaries, from March 2023.
Implementthe BOSVG Reloadable Card Payment Mechanism with a Public Education Campaign and Financial Education Programme, with all Poor Relief Beneficiaries from March 2023 and begin the transition of existing Family Support Grant beneficiaries to reloadable card payments from April 2023.
The assessment process was extended to give additional time for all existing beneficiaries to be interviewed and to meet the necessary requirements of the Bank of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Treasury Department to transition from cash to card.
KEY FINDINGS:
The process of assessment began on December 8th 2022 with a listed total of 4817 beneficiaries of the program.
| Number of beneficiaries interviewed | 4140 |
| Elderly | 2559 |
| Disabled | 755 |
| Chronically ill / Medically unfit for work | 498 |
| Transitioned to other programmes | 150 |
| Deceased / Terminated / Pending review | 178 |
| Number of existing beneficiaries who have not yet participated in the interview/assessment process | 677 |
KEY DECISIONS:
All mentally and intellectually challenged persons and the homeless will continue on cash payments at soon to be disclosed locations inclusive of the Transport and Works yard.
No person shall collect ATM cards for two (2) or more persons.
Distribution of cards shall commence on December 4th2023 to match December’s payment schedule and cash will be paid only to beneficiaries who are mentally and intellectually challenged persons and the homeless.
Cards will only be distributed to those who have completed their assessment and are determined to be eligible for the program.
Public sensitization shall commence on November 27th2023 and will continue until February 2024. It will include infomercials on how to use the ATMs and how the card distribution process will be conducted.
All existing beneficiaries who have not yet participated in the interview/assessment process shall be assessed onsite at the different pay stations according to the schedule for payment released in December 2023, to determine continued eligibility and payment.
All venues for card distribution shall be done via public announcement.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Who is eligible to receive a card?
Existing beneficiaries of the public assistance program who have been assessed and meet the criteria for the approved categories of being from an indigent household and meeting one of the three following criteria – elderly, disabled, or chronically ill/medically unfit for work.
Can I use my card at the supermarket?
You can use your card anywhere there is point-of-sale available but a charge of $1 shall be charged to the card payable by the card holder.
Can I collect a card on behalf of someone?
You can only collect a card for one person – on behalf of someone who has a disability or someone who is a shut-in.
Will there be any fees for use of the card at any BOSVG ATM Machine in the country? No, but if the card is used at other ATMs that are not owned by BOSVG, a charge shall be placed to the card payable by the card holder of $1.50
Will there be any fees if the card is lost?
Yes, a fee of $15 shall be charged to the card holder if the card is lost and has to be replaced after reporting it to the Ministry through its District offices
