Banks have been urged to ensure older people collecting their stipends are given priority over the general population.
The government on Wednesday released Sh4.4 billion for the Injua Jamii programme for the January-February payments for more than one million people.
Labour ministry guidelines require banks to liaise with field officers and local administrators to development seamless payment scheduled.
Where possible, payments should be made in an open field with proper security to facilitate crowd management and proper queuing.
“The coronavirus has been seen to greatly affect the elderly, (who make up a large number of Inua Jamii beneficiaries, as well as those who have other underlying medical problem,” the ministry said.
“Payment Service Providers must play the important role of protecting the vulnerable population who receive the stipend from contracting and spreading the coronavirus by all means possible,” it adds.
Where possible, caregivers have been encouraged to collect the stipend on behalf of the older persons to avoid overcrowding the payment points.
“Encourage cashless payments to beneficiaries (Payment Service Providers (PSPs) to transfer money through mobile phones platforms whenever a beneficiary requests the service.”
Under the guidelines, washing hands with clean water and soap should be compulsory for staff of all banks and payment agencies while all staff handling cash should be provided with alcohol-based hand sanitiser to use throughout the day.
Similarly, all biometric devices must be cleaned and sanitised between uses.
The guidelines stipulate that payment desks/officials be positioned at least two metres from one another to prevent crowding.
PS in the state department for Social Protection Nelson Marwa said 294,023 beneficiaries enrolled in the Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CT-OVC) programme.
They will receive will receive Sh1.17 billion while a total of 762,885 beneficiaries enlisted under the Older Persons Cash Transfer (OPCT) programme will receive Sh3.06 billion.
Another 34,116 beneficiaries enrolled under the Persons with Disability Cash Transfer (PwSD-CT) programme are to receive Sh136 million.
Each beneficiary will receive Sh4,000 to cover for the two month payment cycle.
“Beneficiaries or caregivers can access the payment at any time over the next six months. A beneficiary is allowed to withdraw all or part of this amount at any time during the six-month period,” Marwa said.
The ministry has advised beneficiaries or their caregivers to collect their money either from the nearest authorised bank agent, the bank where they opened their accounts or over the counter at the nearest branch of the bank they opened their accounts.
(Edited by V. Graham)
