Acceptance of new applications for ‘Aswesuma’ Social Welfare Benefit Program 2024 will commence once Appeals/Objections submitted, have been reviewed, said State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe.
The Minister mentioned that preliminary work was being done on the Appeals/Objections received by the Divisional Secretaries, to strengthen the shortcomings of the relief programme.
He expressed these views yesterday (3) at a press conference themed ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’ held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC).
Minister Semasinghe elaborated that, of the 1,280,000 families receiving Samurdhi benefit who have applied for ‘Aswesuma’ 2024, 887,653 families have qualified. It was also decided to extend the Samurdhi allowance to 393,094 families who are not qualified for ‘Aswesuma’, from among the families currently receiving the Samurdhi subsidy, until the Appeals/Objection process is concluded. The Welfare Benefits Board has selected 1,792,265 beneficiaries for the Aswesuma programme. Relief has been targetted for 2 million families, post Appeals/Objections review.
Meanwhile, the elderly and the kidney and disabled people receiving assistance will be paid as previously. Accordingly, arrangements will be made to provide elderly allowances through post offices and kidney and disabled allowances through Divisional Secretariats.
The 11,660 people in elderly homes, children’s homes, disabled centers and religious places will receive allowances without a change, until a new policy is formulated.
Meanwhile, the Welfare Benefits Board has received the details of 1 million accounts for the payment while the Government requests those eligible to open accounts as soon as possible, to receive their benefits.
‘Aswesuma’ is not a programme to undermine the Samurdhi Movement or the Samurdhi Banks. In order to further strengthen Samurdhi Banks, it is hoped to prepare a programme through which the Department of Samurdhi Development will be regulated by the Central Bank in the future.