250,000 compassionate grants to be paid by weekend

MINISTER OF Finance and the Public Service, Dr Nigel Clarke, says 250,000 persons who have been confirmed for compassionate grants under the Government’s COVID-19 Allocation of Resources for Employees (CARE) Programme are expected to receive their payments by the end of the week.

Speaking at a COVID-19 digital press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister Media Centre on Monday, Dr Clarke said the Accountant General’s Department has been advised to proceed with payment arrangements for those persons who have been deemed eligible by virtue of their status, and also providing either a verified bank account or choice of remittance company through which the funds are to be allocated.

VERIFICATION EXERCISE

They are part of the initial 380,000 persons confirmed as eligible for the grant, out of the 400,000 individuals applying during the verification exercise conducted between April 24 and May 1.

“This [confirmation] has been communicated [to the applicants] by text or email. The grants will be paid in the usual fashion that the Government of Jamaica makes electronic payments. The payments will be processed in batches of 1,000, which will be uploaded to the electronic payment system through the Bank of Jamaica, and payments will be remitted thereafter,”Dr Clarke outlined.

The minister pointed out that of the 380,000 verified individuals, representing 95 per cent of the 400,000 applying for the compassionate grant, 150,000 requested to be paid through remittance companies, and the other 230,000, via bank accounts.

He noted, however, that the remaining 130,000 applicants were unable to be verified for payments as a result of issues with information that was submitted in relation to a “large number”of the bank accounts.

“Just to remind applicants that the bank accounts that are submitted with an application for a compassionate grant have to be in the name of the applicant of the compassionate grant,” he emphasised.

Dr Clarke said, however, that persons who need to rectify this anomaly will be advised via text message, and will have the opportunity to go on online at www.wecare.gov.jm and click on the ‘check the application’ status to update the information on the financial institution chosen.

“At that point, you can either re-enter a bank account in the name of the applicant or you can elect to have the payment be directed to a remittance company of your choice,” he added.

Dr Clarke also reminded persons opting to use remittance companies that they must present a government-issued ID along with the application reference number in order to collect payments.