Persons Encouraged to Use the Appeals Process for PATH

Persons who are turned down for the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), are being encouraged to utilise the appeals process while the Ministry of Labour and Social Security reviews the selection procedure.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., gave the advice during the question-and-answer segment of the Ministry’s townhall series, ‘On a PATH to Transformation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’, on March 13 at the St. Gabriel’s Anglican Church hall in May Pen, Clarendon, and online.

The Minister said the process of selection/Beneficiary Identification System (BIS) is one of the mechanisms that have presented challenges in the system.

He acknowledged that there have been concerns raised about persons who have been unsuccessful in their application, despite meeting the eligibility criteria.

“There is a process now that those persons who did not make it through the preliminary evaluation can still be put forward to a committee to be evaluated to see whether or not they ought to be on PATH,” the Minister informed.

He said the appeals process gives these persons an avenue to have their application reconsidered.

“They ought to be advised of the appeal option immediately as they are turned back. Once you don’t get through, the next step should be that you are advised that you can appeal,” the Minister pointed out.

PATH applicants are invited to visit the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s office in their parish of residence to complete the application process.

The process may also be undertaken at designated centres, communities or within homes of the elderly or persons with disabilities.

Demographic and other socio-economic data are collected on individual family members and the information entered into the BIS.

The BIS applies a Proxy Means Test to derive the family’s score.

Families that have attained a score that is at or below the cut-off point established for the programme are provisionally selected to participate.

Final selection is subject to verification of the information provided during the application interview process.

Benefits are delivered to families for a period of four years, after which they are required to reapply and be reassessed for continued eligibility.