Some one million cash transfer beneficiaries will this week receive Sh8,000 each in monthly stipend arrears.
The government released Sh8.56 billion last week. Labour and Social Protection CS Ukur Yatani said each of the 1,070,238 beneficiaries will receive Sh8,000.
The money will cover four months for all the beneficiaries enrolled in the three programmes under the Consolidated Cash Transfer Programme.
The money has been wired directly to the bank accounts of beneficiaries, Yatani said.
“Beneficiaries and caregivers can access the payment at their own convenience over the next six months,” he said.
“This will ensure they don’t crowd the pay points as money is in their accounts.”
Social Protection PS Nelson Marwa said the beneficiaries will be paid for four months, from March to June 30, to complete the 2018-19 financial year.
Under the new payment model, Marwa said, there is no fixed timeline for accessing payment “since this is a normal bank account and beneficiaries can access funds at their own convenience anywhere in the country.”
Some 287,278 beneficiaries will benefit under the orphans and vulnerable children cash transfer programme while 753,376 older persons will be covered.
Some 29,584 persons with severe disability are covered under the programme.
A beneficiary is required to confirm the amount in his or her account first and is allowed to either withdraw all of it or just a portion and confirm the same on a receipt issued.
The payment will be done by the four contracted banks—Co-operative Bank, Equity Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank and Post Bank.
Beneficiaries can identify themselves using either Inua Jamii payment card or their national identity cards.
A beneficiary or caregiver going for the payment for the first time must transact biometrically.
Marwa said only those beneficiaries or caregivers who had opened accounts with banks of their choice between November 26, 2018, and May 18, 2019, will benefit from the latest payments.
Beneficiaries who have or will have successfully opened bank accounts between May 19 and June 28, 2019, will be paid in the July-August 2019 payment cycle.
“All the beneficiaries who were supposed to have opened account but never managed to do so by June 28, 2019, will be given an opportunity to open accounts in a new phase,” Marwa said.
He said the government will only disburse the monthly stipends to beneficiaries who had opened bank accounts.
