The government has released GH¢265,220, 000 to be disbursed to 350,000 beneficiary households of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme for the 94th and 95th joint cycles.
The disbandment would be made this week through Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlements Systems (GHIPSS) to the Beneficiaries’ E-Zwich accounts to the 260 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
LEAP is a cash transfer programme, introduced by the Government in 2008, for extremely poor and vulnerable households in order to reduce poverty and promote access to services and opportunities.
The Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP), Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, disclosed this at a press conference in Accra on Friday, to update the media on the LEAP grant payments.
She noted that government through its commitment to reducing poverty, had increased the number of beneficiary households from 350,000 to 400,000 in the budget statement and economic policy for the 2025 financial year.
“The President through the Minister for Finance further increased the allocation for LEAP benefit from GH¢728.8 million to GH¢953.5 million in his first budget statement and economic policy for the 2025 financial year,” she revealed.
Dr Lartey stated that the criteria for eligibility were households with orphans and vulnerable children, the aged above 65 years without support; persons with severe disability who cannot easily work, and extremely poor pregnant women and lactating mothers with infants under one year.
She highlighted that one eligible member household would receive GH¢512.00, two-member households would receive GH¢608.00, three-member households, GH¢704.00, and four-member households would also get GH¢848.00.
She advised the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the support to enhance their overall well-being, meeting immediate consumption needs and securing their future investment goals.
“Beneficiaries are expected to prioritise essential areas such as household nutrition, children’s education, and income-generating activities.
By adopting those positive financial and social practices, LEAP households would contribute to the programme’s objective of reducing poverty and vulnerability through sustained consumption support,’’ the Minister stated.
Furthermore, Dr Lartey acknowledged that not all households could remain on the LEAP Programme indefinitely, and there might also be the need for new households to be added.
She said the ministry had initiated a comprehensive reassessment of all beneficiary households to evaluate their continued eligibility.
The Minister added that Ghana National Households Registry (GNHR), under the Ministry, was also expected to complete its ongoing households’ registration soon to enhance targeting of households to be included.
‘‘I want to thank our partners: The World Bank, UNICEF, the World Food Programme and Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office for their continuous support of the LEAP.”
“We are open and still working for more partnerships to help address the gaps in the coverage of the programme,’’ she noted.
BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA
