‘Aid recipients must update status annually’
It is not our intention to trouble them (target groups), we want to help them, but we also need to adhere to certain rules. There are cases of erroneous payments made to deceased recipients as the department was not informed of their deaths.
KUALA LUMPUR: Recipients of the Social Welfare Department (JKM) allowance must update their status in the annual registration form to ascertain their eligibility to continue receiving the allowance.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the status of the recipients need to be reviewed and ascertained by the JKM to prevent leakage of government fund and erroneous payments to deceased recipients.
“It is not our intention to trouble them (target groups), we want to help them, but we also need to adhere to certain rules. There are cases of erroneous payments made to deceased recipients as the department was not informed of their deaths.
“This happened a lot and eventually the family have to pay back the amount to the ministry. This is what we are trying to avoid.”
Nancy said this in reply to Datuk Normala Abdul Samad (BN-Pasir Gudang) on how the government could continue to provide assistance without making it difficult for the group to register annually.
Nancy said of the total of 483,637 beneficiaries, 40,990 cases or 8.47 per cent were no longer receiving the JKM allowance due to various reasons and they include living recipients and those who had passed away, as well as those who moved out of their district.
She said the JKM had also assisted the recipients through its productive welfare approach by offering start-up grant of RM2,700 for them to venture into smallscale entrepreneurship.
“From 2010 to 2016, a total of 5,757 recipients have benefited from the grants, involving allocation of RM19.94 million.
“Of the total, 3,451 people had been able to generate side income of above RM300 per month,” she added. — Bernama
Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department