Ministry of Labour & Social Security

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Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles

The Government is soliciting the assistance of Members of Parliament (MPs) in identifying some 120,000 Jamaicans, who are living below the poverty line, and are not now benefiting from the Programme for Advancement through Health and Education (PATH).

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles, made the appeal in the House of Representatives yesterday (April 29), as he brought packages of PATH application forms to be handed out to MPs.

"It is the desire of the government that no person in the country, no family in the country, at present below the poverty line, should be without support from the Government and all such families should be placed on the PATH programme," Mr. Charles said.

"Members of Parliament, institutions along with the Ministries, will search for, interview, identify and allow these persons to get on the programme starting immediately as instructed by the government," he stated.

Mr. Charles also informed that the Ministry will be setting up application centres throughout the island to facilitate the registration process. He urged the MPs to "get a proper listing of persons" who should be benefiting from the programme.

"The names will be sent to the Ministry of Labour and we will go back into the field and identify them in order that we have a clean list of persons," he noted.

Mr. Charles informed that according to statistics from the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) there are between 115,000 and 120,000 families that are living below the poverty line and noted that the Government is prepared to bring them into the PATH programme.

Meanwhile, Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Andrew Gallimore, explained that once the MPs have submitted the names, a means test will be administered, which will "ultimately decide whether or not the person that you recommend or any other member recommends will be able to access the programme." The PIOJ will assess applicants' suitability to join the programme.

PATH is a programme funded by the Government of Jamaica and the World Bank, aimed at delivering benefits by way of cash grants to the neediest persons in the society. The programme is administered by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and replaces three major social assistance programmes - Food Stamp, Public Assistance and Outdoor Poor Relief.

All beneficiaries must adhere to certain conditions and school-age children between six and 17 years, are required to maintain an 85 per cent attendance record in school.

Other categories of beneficiaries, including the elderly, poor adults, and pregnant women and persons with disabilities, are required to maintain a schedule of visits to health centres. Currently there are 245,000 persons registered under the PATH programme.

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