The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) has announced the doubling of cash grants for beneficiary households under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.
The announcement came last Friday, June 28,2024 for the 89 cycles thus January and February and payment is scheduled to take place on Monday, 1st July 2024 across the country.
Speaking to the media in Accra about the government’s effort towards cushioning the extremely poor in the country, the MoGCSP, Ms. Dakoa Newman said the increment in the LEAP grant to beneficiary households follows a prior 100% increase in June 2023.
“This significant increase in financial support underscores the government’s commitment to poverty alleviation and improving the quality of life of the nation’s most disadvantaged citizens”.
She pointed out that between 2015 and 2023, the LEAP Grants paid to beneficiary households bi-monthly of One Member Household was GHC 64.00, Two Member Households, GH¢76.00, Three Member Households, GH¢88.00 whilst Four and above Member Households were entitled to GHC106.00.
“From June to December 2023, the LEAP Grants paid to beneficiary households bi-monthly were as follows: One Member Household was entitled to GHC128.00, Two Member households were entitled to GHC152.00, Three Member Households entitled to GH€176.00 and finally Four and above Member Households entitled to GH¢212.00”.
The Minister revealed that, as a result of the increase, the Government has released One Hundred and Three Million, Two Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand, Seventy-Two Ghana Cedis (GH 103,251,072.01) to pay the three hundred and twenty -four thousand and seventy-three (324,073) beneficiary households.
“The revised grant amounts will take immediate effect ensuring that their far-reaching benefits are felt without delay. This boost in funding is further expected to provide much-needed relief and support to thousands of families across the country, enabling them to meet their basic needs more effectively as well as invest in their future well-being”.
The increment she indicated, is aligned with the LEAP Programme’s goal, which seeks to reduce poverty by smoothening consumption and promoting human capital development among Ghana’s extremely poor and vulnerable households.