PM Holness Underscores Gov’t’s Commitment to Protecting Vulnerable Jamaicans

The Government is ensuring that adequate resources are available for social protection programmes to safeguard the most vulnerable, says Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.

Speaking during the 2025/26 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Thursday (March 20), Dr. Holness emphasised that the Administration is systematically enhancing the social protection framework, creating opportunities and addressing the cycle of generational poverty.

He indicated that decisive actions are being taken, including the introduction of Jamaica’s first ever social pension which guarantees $15,000 for vulnerable Jamaicans; provisions for Jamaicans, 75 years and older, to ensure they can live in dignity in their golden years; and increased investments in the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP).

“[The NSHP] provides safe and secure housing for the country’s most vulnerable. Over 300 houses have been built or handed over or are under construction, transforming lives and communities,” the Prime Minister said.

Dr. Holness highlighted other transformational initiatives undertaken by the Government, including the world’s first-ever tourism pension scheme launched in 2022, and the Jamaica Entertainers and Creatives Insurance Plan introduced in 2024, aimed at protecting artistes, musicians, and creatives while recognising their vital contribution to the economy.

Additionally, the Prime Minister said Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) funding was increased by 30 per cent in 2024, while pointing out that the Administration is also pursuing the implementation of unemployment insurance to provide financial relief to Jamaicans experiencing sudden losses.

“It is not enough to support people in times of hardship, we must create pathways out of poverty. Last year I announced the Hope for Children Trust Fund, a groundbreaking initiative. The reality is that thousands of children in low-income families reach adulthood without any savings or assets to help them get a start in life. This lack of capital perpetuates generational poverty, and we must break this cycle, ” Dr. Holness maintained.

He emphasised that the initiative aims to be instrumental in advancing “real equitable policies” designed to bring fundamental changes to Jamaica’s income and asset profile, adding that, “every eligible child will be provided with a long-term savings account, funded annually by the Government.”

“We are creating a formal structure where the private sector/individuals could also… make a contribution when the fund is fully mobilised if they choose… and I am encouraging them [to do so]… so that a child who comes from a household with no asset, at 18, will know that they have something to start with,” he said.

Dr. Holness advised that all children born on or after August 6, 2022, who is part of a PATH household or a ward of the State, will be eligible to benefit under the programme.