The Tribune

SOCIAL Services Minister Myles Laroda said there has been increasing demand for food, rental, and burial aid assistance.

“We are inundated, would be the correct word, with requests from individuals due to the inflation crisis that is going all over the world,” he said recently in the House of Assembly.

He stressed the financial strain on the ministry, reporting that the Department of Social Services had spent $6.8m on assistance in New Providence as of December 2024. This included $2.6m for food assistance, $1.6m for temporary accommodations, and $731,000 for medical assistance.

“We do have genuine cases of individuals who are in need, and so we are working towards a system where receiving pension benefits or receiving a salary is not a disqualifier,” he said.

Mr Laroda acknowledged that while assistance is available, it is not automatically granted.

He emphasised that assistance is only available to those who meet specific financial criteria and that aid is not guaranteed.

“What we found was that there have been people who were receiving Social Services assistance who are now back to work and fully employed, and that is part of the reason why individuals would have been taken off food assistance,” he said. “Notwithstanding, I receive messages and calls from the public and from MPs on both sides indicating that their situation is still dire, notwithstanding that they may be working because we do have a working poor.”

He said his ministry has recommended increasing allowances for grocery items because of the financial distress nationwide.

He also highlighted efforts to extend aid through grants, noting that $4.2m in grants had been provided to various civic organisations as of December 2024.

“Some of the grant recipients have expressed a need for additional funding outside what has been allocated, citing an increase in demand in the services that they have provided,” he said. “We cannot allocate additional funds at this time; however, we will make recommendations for increases in the 2025-2026 budget.”

To ensure accountability, he emphasised financial reporting requirements for grant recipients.

Regarding temporary shelters, Mr Laroda acknowledged the challenges faced by the Department of Social Services, particularly at the Poinciana Inn, which became a full shelter in 2023 and has helped 489 individuals to date.

“The Department of Social Services has been inundated with requests for temporary shelter,” he said. “There are times when all of the designated facilities are filled to capacity, or persons have not been able to successfully transition to independent living after being accommodated.”

He recognised the contributions of partners such as the Great Commission Ministry and The Salvation Army in providing additional support for temporary shelter needs, while also encouraging families to support each other.

Efforts to improve rent assistance processes continue, with Mr Laroda requesting patience from the public.

“Some challenges still persist, particularly with rent assistance payments, but solutions are being sought to shorten the waiting time, and we request your understanding until the process is refined and resolved,” he said.