A review of Saint Lucia’s Public Assistance Programme (PAP) has identified 60 deceased people, including 28 beneficiaries and 32 applicants awaiting enrolment, as nearly 2,000 people remain on the waiting list for assistance. The findings emerged from 1,535 household surveys completed during the first 20 days of the recertification exercise.
Minister for Equity Emma Hippolyte disclosed the figures in Parliament on Tuesday, October 20, as she outlined efforts to update beneficiary records and assess household eligibility. The figures presented did not establish whether payments had continued following the beneficiaries’ deaths.
For the 1,912 people awaiting assistance, the exercise could help determine their access to support. Hippolyte appealed for patience, assuring those on the waiting list that eligible individuals would be brought onto the programme following the review.
The Minister reported that 2,555 individuals were on PAP and that 971 suspensions had been recorded. Her update did not specify the reasons for those suspensions or indicate whether they resulted from the current exercise.
Field officers have completed surveys in Anse La Raye, Babonneau, Canaries, Dennery, Laborie, Micoud and Castries South East. During the week of the Minister’s statement, teams expanded their work into Vieux Fort South and Castries Central, with assessments scheduled to continue through November 30.
Hippolyte said the review aims to improve the “accuracy, integrity and reliability” of the beneficiary database. More reliable records, she explained, would support decisions about public assistance and provide a foundation for expanding social protection.
The assessments use the Saint Lucia National Eligibility Test (SLNET), which examines household living conditions and other relevant circumstances. Information is recorded digitally, with households classified as indigent, poor or non-poor.
Households assessed as indigent or poor qualify for PAP cash transfers, while those classified as non-poor may be referred to other assistance programmes depending on their vulnerabilities and needs. The review therefore considers both eligibility for cash support and circumstances that may require other forms of help.
Government has allocated EC$13,826,090 to PAP for the 2026/2027 financial year, with September cash transfers totalling EC$764,255. Beneficiaries can also access specified support, including medical services at public health facilities, ambulance services, eye care, educational assistance and burial assistance.
The Ministry is also working with the World Food Programme through the Anticipatory Action Programme to improve emergency preparedness. That effort is intended to help vulnerable households receive timely support during disasters and other shocks.
Hippolyte urged beneficiaries and applicants to cooperate with field officers as the assessments continue. The Ministry says the updated information will help strengthen accountability and make public assistance more responsive to vulnerable households.
