KUCHING: Monthly monetary assistance from the Department of Social Welfare is credited into the bank accounts of welfare recipients even earlier than usual during this crucial time, assured Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
The Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister said measures had been taken to advance March and April payments.
“We advanced the April assistance so that recipients could get it in March. We are now preparing for them to receive assistance for the month of May as well,” she told New Sarawak Tribune yesterday.
She clarified that there had been no issues or delays in monthly welfare assistance, but perhaps confusion had been caused by a difference in dates when receiving federal and state assistances.
“There are different schemes and there is aid provided by the state government and aid federal government, so sometimes there is a difference in timing,” she explained.
Fatimah said that the federal government had changed slightly their dates for the provision of monthly welfare aid.
“However, we are trying to synchronise and make them simultaneous,” she said.
In the case of aid for those with special needs, she said they received welfare aid from the federal government while the state would top up the amount.
“Sometimes, people may be confused when the timing is not the same, but actually it is additional assistance from the state government.
“Whatever it is, there is no problem and they will still get their welfare assistance through their bank accounts,” Fatimah assured.
She said altogether 50,394 welfare recipients of the various schemes, such as those targeted at children, senior citizens, and individuals with special needs, throughout Sarawak.
She said food aid would also be distributed to assist those in need.
