The Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation have achieved an increase in coverage and reach of its programs to disadvantaged families and individuals in Fiji.
This has been achieved through the reforms and streamlining of the social welfare programs, says the Minister Dr Jiko Luveni.
Minister Luveni said that through the Poverty Benefit Scheme, the Ministry is now assisting maximum of four members in a family.
“Before the reforms, the monthly assistance was only provided to one member of the family and this was not enough to cater for some families. So after the reform, changes were made to meet the needs of the families, whereby through Poverty Benefit Scheme, maximum of four members in a family are assisted through maximum allowance of $150 per month, this is inclusive of the $30 food voucher. This approach saw an increase in the number of people assisted under the Poverty Benefit Scheme, from 21,000 previously to near 60,000 people now being assisted” Dr Luveni said.
The second program, Care and Protection (C&P), she said is primarily designed to support the education and wellbeing of children up to 18 years, particularly those who come from a single parent family, have a parent in prison, or are cared by foster parents and guardians.
“The Care and Protection program currently has 1,996 beneficiaries of which a total of 5504 are children assisted under this program. Similarly the Ministry also provides monthly allowances of $100 per child for all the 168 children who are under state care and are looked after at nine residential homes in Fiji,” Minister Luveni said.
The nine institutions are as follows: Dilkusha Girls Home, St Christopher’s Home and Treasure Homes in Nadi that looks after the infants and Saint Meena’s Home in Nadi and we have Mahaffy Girls Home that looks after teenage girls, Boys Centre in Suva and Veilomani Boys Home in Ba and Homes of Hope (that looks after single mothers) and not forgetting the Lomani Au Home which is in Savusavu.
The two other major programs are Social Pension Scheme for persons who are 70 years and over who don’t have access to any form of superannuation funds qualify for the monthly pension.
“Currently, there are a total of 10,839 senior citizens assisted under this scheme and in a family if the husband is receiving the pension and the wife doesn’t have any form of superannuation funds or income then she qualifies to receive the monthly, pension as well. Through the cabinet approval, for next year, the monthly pension scheme has been increased to $50 per month.
“The Ministry is also assisting a total of 592 pregnant mothers in rural areas through the Expanded Food Voucher Programme. And the Ministry has also produced 43,219 cards for beneficiaries of the government’s Bus Fare concession, this include senior citizens and persons living with disabilities,” Dr Luveni explained.
Dr Luveni said the “Welfare to Workfare” Programme is also achieving positive results for able bodied welfare recipients in terms of earning income through managing their own businesses.
“The recipients are given skills training and start-up capital to venture into income generating and employment opportunities. The significance of this programme is that the recipients are able to earn double the amount in income as compared to the fixed amount they depended on as welfare recipients.
“A total of 148 recipients this year have started their income generating and livelihood projects and is progressing well and will ensure that the recipients become financially independent,” Minister Luveni said.
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