Elderly social welfare recipients can access assistance through their children or a third party – Social Welfare Dept

Social welfare recipients particularly elderly Fijians who cannot go to supermarkets or banks to access food and payments can now give their food voucher cards and bank cards to their children or a third party who can receive this assistance on their behalf.

The Director of Social Welfare, Rupeni Fatiaki says they had already planned this before COVID-19 related restrictions came into place this year.

Government has urged elderly Fijians to remain at home as they are more vulnerable to the threat out in the public.

Fatiaki says the supermarkets and banks are also aware of this arrangement and the third party policy.

He says they have learnt from last year’s lockdown and made provisions to ensure their recipients continue getting their assistance.

Fatiaki also confirms that if social welfare recipients have not been able to use the food voucher card to do their shopping because of the lockdown and containment zones, they still can do the shopping now or even in the new month as there is no expiry on the assistance.