Last Updated on February 1, 2023, 5:28 AM AST by Anthony Morris
The Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs has shared an update regarding St Kitts and Nevis’ Poverty Alleviation programme. In this update, the authorities shared the plans and procedures they plan to take up regarding the PAP in the future.
The Ministry received 9,094 complete and correct applications for the Poverty Alleviation programme until it reached its deadline on December 31, 2023. The Ministry of Social Development acknowledged that the people of St Kitts and Nevis have over-subscribed to the programme. Consequently, the Ministry is currently engaged in further review, verification and processing of the accepted applications.
At the same time, the Ministry of social development noted that they are not considering any new or half-filled applications for review due to oversubscription. The Ministry took up further study of the applications, revealing that out of the total applications that they received, 8,985 applicants were eligible based on the self–reported earnings.
The federal cabinet of St Kitts and Nevis has approved a list of priority eligibility criteria for the Poverty Alleviation Programme. Under these criteria:
Any applications that identify seniors (aged 62 or older) as the head of the household
Any Applications that identify persons with disability as head of the family seeking assistance
Any applications consisting of families of employed and unemployed applicants with children younger than 18 as a part of the household
will receive priority while payments are being made.
As per the update shared by the authorities, the Ministry of Social Development, which is responsible for the execution of the Poverty Alleviation Programme, is further verifying employment and income status. They carried out the verification with assistance from Social Security Board.
Meanwhile, the Ministry also noted that the households listing persons with disability and seniors as the main applicants would receive payments in the first cycle under the Poverty Alleviation Programme. Further payments will continue to be made to all beneficiaries by the end of the month, including February.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
