By Chantalé Fletcher
THE Government has taken an approach to eradicate poverty in Trinidad and Tobago.
This was stated by Social Development and Family Services Minister Donna Cox in the House of Representatives on Saturday.
She said, “This government was mindful of the extent of the problem and would do whatever necessary to ensure that the most vulnerable are treated with respect and dignity.”
The minister was contributing to the budget debate in response to the Opposition’s claim that the fiscal 2021\2022 budget was not for the vulnerable in society.
Cox gave a break down of the programmes under the Social Development Ministry.
She said, “As at September 30, 2021, $173,551,740 was expended to provide food support to 31,547 persons under the Food Support Programme, also known as the Food Card or Debit Card, which was a short-term food assistance and development programme aimed at providing social protection and promoting nutritional and food security to vulnerable households.”
In addition to the General Assistance Grants offered help to citizens/legal residents who are in dire need of temporary assistance.
“As at September 30, 2021, a total of $5,429,184.36 was spent to assist 1,057 clients with household items and $407,150 for rental assistance; while 18,938 benefitted from Public assistance Grants amounting $335,692,321,” Cox added.
The minister said the government also approved 664 new clients for the senior citizen’s pension programme during fiscal 2021.
She said, “As at September, 109,004 persons received grants totaling at 353,296,000, while 22,933 medically or permanently disabled persons under the Disability Assistance Grant received grants at $575,223,930 and with an additional 2,611 grants for minors amounting to $49,823,435.”
Meanwhile, Cox said, “In both Fiscal 2020 and 2021, affected persons were able to receive support through the Government’s grants system.
“In Covid phase 1, the Government spent $347 million where 178,000 individuals and families who required food, rental and income support benefited from this initiative.”
She also highlighted that on June 10, 2021, the Income Support Grant Phase II Project was opened to receive applicants using the ministry’s online application platform where 1,158 applicants were processed as of September 30, 2021 at a cost of just over $3million.
Cox said in terms of food vouchers and market boxes through the Ministry of Agriculture Land and Fisheries, “A total of 24,999 families benefited under this initiative at a cost of approximately $15million which received positive feedback from recipients who told us that this initiative was a welcome support during the stay-at-home period.”
She said that the ministry had recently partnered with Parts World, Angostura, Maritime Financial Group to assist those persons in need.
