LEAP beneficiaries want increased allowances
Beneficiaries of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme say they are frustrated at the insistence of officials of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) that they pay before being registered by the scheme.
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The beneficiaries have also pleaded with the government to consider increasing the allowances paid to them under the scheme, since the current amount, which ranges between GH¢45 and GH¢90 every two months, was not sufficient.
The beneficiaries raised the concerns about the programme, which is a social intervention programme that involves the provision of cash transfers and health insurance to the poorest households in the country during a forum in Sekondi.
The scheme is targeted at people who have no alternative means of meeting their needs and have limited productive capacity. The programme was designed to ensure a good standard of living and to provide a good environment for the elimination of poverty in the country.
Beneficiaries pay for NHIS
Beneficiaries in the Western Region told the Minister of Gender Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), Nana Oye Lithur, that officials of the NHIS demanded money from them before they were registered onto the NHIS, a situation which was contrary to an agreement signed between the MoGCSP and the Ministry of Health (MoH).
The minister confirmed that there was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two ministries which waived enrolment fees for LEAP beneficiaries.
She said her ministry transferred cash to the MoH on behalf of the beneficiaries as part of the agreement so that they could be registered by the scheme.
During a visit to various coastal communities in the Western Region such as Shama, Nzema East and Ellembelle districts to monitor the disbursement of the funds to beneficiaries, the minister assured them that the irregularities would be corrected.
“I can assure you all that the monies that were collected for the registration would be refunded to you after meeting with the Minister of Health,” she said.
She said it was for the good of the beneficiaries that the package was put together to ensure that the MoU was fully implemented, since enrolment onto the NHIS was now a condition to qualify as a beneficiary to receive LEAP grants as most of the beneficiaries did not have the money to pay for enrolment.
At the Komfoeku community in the Shama District, Madam Martha Dadzie called for an increase in the allowance because it was not enough.
