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Name of the Organization : Ministry of People & Social Development
Type of Facility : General Assistance Grant
Country : Trinidad & Tobago

Website : http://www2.mpsd.gov.tt/content/social-welfare-division-0

MPSD General Assistance Grant

This programme under the Ministry of the People and Social Development offers a range of grants to nationals who are in dire need of temporary assistance.

Related / Similar Service : mphe.gov.tt Login

These grants primarily targets clients of the service delivery units of the Ministry of the People and Social Development and other needy persons.

The programme also allows support to needy individuals in crisis and emergency situations or who are victims of natural or man-made disasters. Applicants will be required to provide estimates of items from recognized establishments along with other supporting documents.

These grants are as follows:
a) Housing Assistance :
This grant provides assistance to clients to purchase building materials for construction or repair of their homes. A one-off grant of $15,000.00 is given to persons to access materials from a reputable hardware. In times of disaster the amount given under this grant is $20,000.00.

b) Household Items :
This grant can be accessed by needy persons to purchase household items such as stoves, refrigerators and furniture. This grant can also be accessed by victims of natural or man-made disasters and is accessed only once in a three year period.

The items offered under this initiative are limited to the following basic household items;
** Bed and mattress
** Stove
** Refrigerator
** Washing machine
** Wardrobes
** Chest of Drawers
** Living Room set
** Dining Room set

c) Medical Equipment :
Under this grant needy persons can qualify for wheelchairs, commodes, special beds, dentures etc. The amount allowed under this grant is $7,500.00.

d) Domestic Help :
This grant facilitates the provision of part-time domestic help for three (3) months in the first instance but not more than six (6) months if deemed necessary to clients who are unable to perform normal household chores, for example, whilst recuperating from surgery, and are unable to afford the cost of domestic assistance. The amount paid to a care giver is $1,800.00 per month.

e) Dietary Grant :
This grant of $600.00 per month assists clients who suffer illnesses which require special diets, for example, renal patients and clients with uncontrolled diabetes. It is to be noted that this is only offered where the person has to purchase food and other such items that is outside of what they would normally purchase and where they are unable to meet the cost of these items. This service is only extended to persons who are on grants of Ministry of the People and Social Development. This grant is made on a continuous basis as prescribed by a medical practitioner.

f) Clothing Grant :
Currently available to persons at $500.00 per person to a maximum of four persons per family. This grant provides assistance to needy persons, victims of disaster to purchase essential items of clothing. Applicants can access this grant only once every two years. This grant be limited to the number of persons living in the household.

g) Funeral Grant :
This grant of $7000.00 is intended to assist in the burial of deceased persons who have no one willing and/or financially able to undertake the cost of burial.

This grant can be issued to needy families of the deceased under two circumstances:
i. In instances before the funeral takes place and accompanied by the appropriate documents to support the claims, that is, death certificate and estimates from funeral home, or
ii. It can be issued as a reimbursement for the costs incurred for burials undertaken within three months following death. Claims must be justifiable and accompanied by the appropriate supporting documents, that is, death certificate and bills outlining expenditure.

Accordingly, this grant will not be entertained where funeral arrangements have already been made and where the cost is in excess of this amount by more than $3,000.

h) Special Child Grant :
This grant targets children with a severe disorder. It provides assistance to parents who are unable to meet the financial cost of caring for a special child. The grant can be accessed for children under the age of eighteen and is given for a one year period, followed by a review. This grant will be paid to parents of special children where their income is deemed inadequate. The amount allowed under this grant is $800.00 per month per child.

Note:
A child on whose behalf Public Assistance is paid will not be eligible for this grant.

i) Pharmaceutical Grant :
This grant of is provided for the purchase of prescriptive medication only if drugs are not available under the C-Dap Programme or at the Public Dispensaries. Suitable persons are allowed a three month supply up to $2,500.00 and are paid once per year.

j) House Rent :
This grant is used to assist clients who are temporarily unable to pay their rent, or to assist clients who need new accommodation and are unable to meet initial payments. Persons who benefit from this grant are usually on the verge of eviction, fire victims and victims of domestic violence. The amount allowed under this grant is $7,500.00 to cover a three month period.

School Supplies Grant:
Grant given to children who are attending primary and secondary schools whose books/uniform were destroyed in a natural or man-made disasters, assistance will be provided as follows:
$1,000.00 for children attending Secondary School
$750.00 for children attending primary school.

k) Education Grant :
For children who are attending secondary schools and where the Public Assistance and/or the Food Card is the only source of income and who are unable to meet the varying cost associated with the following:

Transportation (Where there is no public transportation system available)

Cater for any special needs associated with school attendance where government agencies are not already providing such assistance. Such needs must be verified.

The amount allowable is $500.00 per month per child.

l) Urgent Temporary Assistance (Emergency assistance) :
This grant is given to nationals in emergency cases who are in dire need of financial assistance and is paid in cash. The amount allowed is $300.00 per person.

What does this programme aim to achieve?:
The aim of the programme is to provide assistance to relieve the immediate need of persons in crisis situations.

Who should apply?:
Recipients of welfare and persons who are in dire need of temporary assistance;
Victims of natural disasters;
Victims of Domestic Violence.