The monthly allowances paid to disabled persons, kidney patients and elderly citizens will be retrospectively increased from January 2024, Finance State Minister Shehan Semasinghe says.
Allowances will be as follows after the revision:
Kidney patients – Rs. 7,500 (previously Rs. 5,000)
Disabled persons – Rs. 7,500 (previously Rs. 5,000)
Elderly citizens – Rs. 3,000 (previously Rs. 2,000)
The beneficiaries of ‘Aswesuma’ welfare program who are entitled to these allowances are to be identified within the first quarter of 2024 and paid the increased payments starting April 01.
Additionally, it has been decided to continue the payments for the ‘vulnerable’ and ‘transitional’ social groups up until December 31.
The existing ‘vulnerable’ and ‘transitional’ social groups are planned to be amalgamated in the future. Subsequently, a total of 800,000 families will be considered ‘vulnerable’ and an allowance of Rs. 5,000/- will be paid to them. The ‘transitional’ social group now receives only Rs. 2,500.
