The Government, through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has commenced the 98th cycle cash grant payments of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) to 1.5 million individuals.
Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Gender Minister, said a total of 350,580 households were expected to receive cash.
The Minister made this known at a press conference in Accra to update the media on the LEAP grant payments.
LEAP is a cash transfer programme, introduced by the Government in 2008, for extremely poor and vulnerable households to reduce poverty and promote access to services and opportunities.
The criteria for eligibility are households with orphans and vulnerable children, the aged/elderly (65 years and above) without support; persons with severe disability who cannot easily work, and extremely poor pregnant women and lactating mothers with infants under one year.
According to Dr Lartey, one eligible member household would receive GHC 320.00, two-member households would receive GH 360.00, three-member households, GHC 440.00 and four-member household, GHC 530.00.
“…Cycle after cycle, we have turned this commitment into concrete action. This unwavering consistency is the bedrock upon which we are building a Ghana where the most vulnerable are shielded from hardship, and where every household is empowered to live with dignity and hope,” she stated.
The Minister said in the bid to prioritise human capital development and productive inclusion besides the cash grant, the Ministry provided technical support, training and regular sensitisation for beneficiaries nationwide.
That, the Minister said, would enable them to maximise the use of the grants, moving from subsistence to investment for long-term resilience and well-being.
Dr Lartey said the Ministry had also commenced the implementation of a structural benchmark for the indexation of cash grants against inflation, reducing the erosion of the value of the LEAP cash grant.
She said the Ministry had accelerated reassessment efforts that would increase the coverage of the LEAP Programme from 350,580 households to 400,000 households before the end of 2025.
“To our cherished beneficiaries, I urge you all to actively participate in the ongoing LEAP reassessment data collection mop-up and the upcoming household data verification exercise. Your cooperation is vital to ensuring fairness, effectiveness, and expansion of the LEAP programme to other deserving households,”the Minister added.
The Ministry, she said, partnered the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) to introduce multiple cash-out options, including Ghana Pay mobile money payment system, for LEAP beneficiaries, enhancing financial inclusion and access to grants.
Dr Lartey expressed gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama for his leadership in sustaining the LEAP programme and passing the Social Protection Bill into law, safeguarding vulnerable populations and promoting national development.
She encouraged the citizens to report any misconduct, such as fraud or underpayment in the programme to ensure integrity and uphold the Ministry and LEAP’s mission.