The Social Protection Board and the Department of Social Policy, Research and Planning within the Ministry of Social Transformation, Human Resource Development and the Blue Economy will be providing a COVID-19 Relief Grant to its social protection beneficiaries, that is, poor and vulnerable families who were re-registered last year with the Social Protection Board.
The COVID-19 Relief Grant aims to provide financial support to persons who were already vulnerable before COVID-19 and who have fallen further into economic hardships as a result of the pandemic.
This grant has been made possible through a joint programme of the United Nations Response and Recovery Fund by the governments of Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Republic of Korea, Finland, New Zealand, Croatia, Iceland, Thailand, Slovak Republic and Cambodia, together with additional financial and technical assistance from UNICEF. It complements other support already provided through the Board / Ministry to other people impacted by COVID-19.
The assistance will be distributed the last week of February 2022 (February 21-25) as a one-time payment to cover the essential needs of the beneficiaries for three months.
All eligible households will be contacted by the Social Protection Board during the week of February 14th, as to the specific dates and times for the distribution of grant payments, and the head of household or designated person (guardian, caretaker) is advised to collect the cheque on the assigned specific dates.
Beneficiaries are asked to wait for the call from the Board. For any other question or information, you can contact the Social Protection Board at 268-562-7515/562-7516 or email: social.protectionboard@ab.gov.ag.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the COVID-19 Relief Grant?
The COVID-19 Relief Grant aims to provide financial support for the most vulnerable who are more likely to fall further into poverty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. How do individuals and households qualify for the programme?
The target group are households who were re-registered for the Social Protection Board.
3. How long is the assistance for?
The assistance covers a three-month period, to be paid in one payment; during the week of February 21st – 25th, 2022.
4. How is the assistance provided?
The assistance is provided by cheque to the household. It would be collected by the person specified in the registration process, either the head of the household or the designated specified person (i.e. guardian, caretaker etc.).
5. How is this grant being funded?
The COVID-19 Relief Grant is funded through a joint programme which is possible thanks to the contributions to the UN Response and Recovery Fund by the governments of Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Republic of Korea, Finland, New Zealand, Croatia, Iceland, Thailand, Slovak Republic and Cambodia, together with additional financial and technical assistance from UNICEF.
6. If there are any issues with the grant assistance, who/how can I report this?
Please contact 562-7508 to register your comment, suggestion, or concern. There will also be a box at the Social Protection Board should you wish to record your comment anonymously.
For more information on the grant payments and collection dates, contact the Social Protection Board at 268-562-7515/562-7516 or email: social.protectionboard@ab.gov.ag.
