Gov’t moves to overhaul public assistance system — Wheatley

The government is pressing ahead with reforms to modernise the Public Assistance Programme, as efforts continue to strengthen social support for vulnerable individuals and families.

Providing an update during a recent House sitting, Health Minister Vincent Wheatley outlined the ministry’s ongoing work to improve how social assistance is delivered across the territory.

Wheatley said public assistance remains a critical safety net, particularly for seniors, persons with disabilities and households experiencing hardship. He told legislators the ministry is focused on ensuring assistance “is delivered consistently and fairly, with clear rules, proper documentation, and service standards that the public can trust”.

The minister reminded the House that Cabinet approved updated monthly public assistance grant amounts on February 5, 2025, as an interim measure while a revised benefit structure is being developed. The increases took effect on February 28, 2025, and were applied to all eligible existing beneficiaries.

Since implementation, the revised grants have supported more than 500 recipients. Wheatley reported that this represented a 13 percent increase in the number of persons served and a 16 percent increase in total programme disbursements when compared with 2024.

He said 188 elderly persons alone received more than $569,000 in assistance, alongside additional provisions such as disability supplements, home care support, and medical grants.

Wheatley described the grant increases as direct relief, stating that the decision “was not an accounting exercise, it was direct relief,” which helped beneficiaries manage basic needs while broader reforms continued.

As part of the modernisation process, the Ministry engaged a consultant under a 24-week phased programme to support the implementation of the amended legislative framework. Wheatley explained that while consolidation of discretionary grants into a single system strengthened governance and accountability, it also increased the volume and complexity of applications handled by the Social Assistance Division.

He said many day-to-day processes remained shaped by legacy procedures, creating inconsistency and inefficiency. The consultancy, he explained, is focused on embedding sustainable improvements so reforms remain in place after the assignment ends.

According to the minister, work is progressing in areas that directly affect service quality, including documented standard operating procedures, appeals-ready decision-making, strengthened data protection practices, improved digitisation readiness, and more structured verification and inter-agency coordination.

Wheatley said these changes will make the programme more reliable for beneficiaries and more manageable for staff, while laying the groundwork for a broader Social Protection Bill intended to replace the existing Public Assistance Act and establish a modern legislative framework for social assistance.