PATH benefits remain woeful despite increase, say critics

The almost 30 per cent increase in funds allocated to the Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) for the 2024-2025 fiscal year is not enough to address the needs of those it serves, sociologist Dr Orville Taylor has asserted.

“I don’t think it’s going to have a very significant impact. The percentage increase is miniscule,” Taylor told The Gleaner.

Labour and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles Jr announced the 28.8 per cent increase in the PATH budget during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate on Wednesday, moving the total monies available for this social security safety net to more than $10 billion.

This increase in payments will see enrolled elderly Jamaicans receiving $3,300 as of June, up from $3,100 per month. Children under six years of age will receive $2,200, up from $1,900. Students in grades one to six, who previously received $1,900 monthly, will now receive $3,150; those in grades seven to nine will also get $3,150, up from $2,400; and students in grades 10 to 13, who formerly received $2,800 from the Government’s social security programme, will also receive $3,150.

Increases have also been granted to pregnant and lactating mothers, who will now get $2,650, up from $2,200. Persons with disabilities, the adult poor, and poor relief payments have increased to $2,650 monthly, up from $2,200. Meanwhile, the minimum benefit under the programme has moved from $950 monthly to $1,100.

At his post-Sectoral Debate press briefing yesterday, Charles lauded the Government’s dedication to improving the lives of the country’s poorer citizens.

“This is a testament to our commitment, to the Government’s commitment for supporting our most vulnerable citizens,” he said.

PATH accounts for 82 per cent of the ministry’s social-assistance budget and 54 per cent of the ministry’s recurrent budget. In 2023, approximately 302,000 Jamaicans benefited from PATH.

But according to Taylor, the increase should take into account the rise in cost of living and how this affects the elderly, especially.

“When it comes to the elderly, the older you get is the more demands are going to be made on your healthcare resources, so you have to look at that within the context of an increasing set of goodies such as more coverage under the National Health Fund, JADEP (Jamaica Drug for the Elderly Programme),” he said.

PALTRY SUM

Executive chair of the Caribbean Community of Retired Persons, Jean Lowrie-Chin, is of a similar view, describing the increase as a “drop in the bucket” for the elderly.

“The indigent elderly are already suffering greatly. They still have electricity bills, they still have utility bills in general, so $3,300 a month, I’m not sure what that can pay for,” she said.

She stated that it was “regrettable” that the elderly seem not to have been prioritised in the increased allocation.

“They are now at a more vulnerable age, they are no longer earning, and they still have expenses, and these are the same people who have helped to build this country and this country can do better for them,” she said.

Seniors who are over 75 years old and who are not on PATH can benefit from the ministry’s Social Pension Programme, Charles Jr disclosed. That budget has been increased by 165 per cent to $1 billion. The almost 15,000 beneficiaries registered on this programme will receive $12,000 bi-monthly, up from $6,800.

Meanwhile, economist Dr Adrian Stokes believes the increase in the PATH benefit will go a long way in restoring the purchasing power of beneficiaries, but will have little effect on the economy.

“While PATH beneficiaries have a high propensity to consume, which is growth- enhancing, it is unlikely that the increase in benefits will have a material impact on key economic variables,” he said.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com