Recipients of the Social Pension Scheme, the Care and Protection Scheme and Poverty Benefit Scheme have to declare that they are still eligible for the assistance by today or their assistance will be suspended.
The Social Welfare Department says they are aware that some families of recipients are taking the assistance after the original recipient has died, and the department expects to identify fraudulent recipients under its schemes.
This is part of the Ministry for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation’s Recertification Program which is being conducted from January to minimize the risk of abuse.
As at the 19th of this month, the Department of Social Welfare has received a total of 50,360 forms out of 77,512 recipients. The Ministry states out of the forms issued, they have yet to receive 8,501 forms and 18,651 applicants have yet to retrieve a form.
The Ministry states that the reform was necessary to improve the targeting and the coverage of assistance verification, assessments to determine eligibility to be assisted and continue to be assisted according to the program criteria.
The Recertification Program will end today and those who fail to update their information will have their assistance suspended.
