A new food (debit) card will be in effect from the first quarter of 2018 with the assessment of all such recipients to ensure that only those "truly eligible" for food assistance will receive the new card, Social Development Minister Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn has said.
Crichlow-Cockburn revealed this in yesterday's Parliament debate of the 2018 Budget.
She stressed all Ministry grants will continue following the Budget.
As of January also, pensioners will no longer have to report to regional Ministry offices to verify that they are alive. Verification will be done via the issuance of a life certificates and information from the Registrar General's office on deaths.
But on the food card, Crichlow-Cockburn said banks said the Ministry's current debit card is obsolete and a new, more secure card will be in effect from next year.
A standardised means test will also be in force to access this and other Ministry assistance from 2018. Food card applications and for other services will be available at all regional Ministry offices.
She said the card was a measure to assist the poor temporarily, "not meant to be used by MPs to give supporters for election purposes."
The means test and re-certification exercises had revealed 18, 900 recipients who had died, migrated, failed to give required information or whose income had improved.
"(So) we didn't 'take back the card just so'. The exercise saved $159.6m and 6,810 beneficiaries obtained cards. Up to September 27, 435 were obtaining food assistance," she said.
A "Step Up" programme will also help steer people to reduce dependency by enrollment in programmes, micro-business funding and seed grants.
An integrated IT system will prevent duplication and "double dipping" of all services, she said. A National Social Mitigation programme will also come on stream to assist sectors affected by the economic downturn — unemployed, recently retrenched, youth and poor.
Crichlow-Cockburn said Cabinet has accepted recommendations concerning street dwellers, done by a team including business. She said 30 per cent of street dwellers have mental issues and St Ann's Hospital is inadequate to cater for all the patients.
It has been proposed regional corporations establish centres for street dwellers who will be handled by municipal police — rather than T&T Police Service.
Aspects starting in 2018 include a temporary/assessment centre at the corner of Piccadilly and South Quay, Port-of-Spain, legislation on dealing with street dwellers and examination/retrofitting of an Independence Square building.