Persons with permanent disabilities to receive lifetime assistance from Govt

– HIV, cancer patients to also benefit

Persons living with permanent disabilities, HIV, cancer, or any other lifelong incurable or untreatable disease will now automatically qualify for public assistance for the rest of their lives.
This is according to Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud, on Friday at the commissioning of a new wing at the Night Shelter in La Penitence, Georgetown.

The Minister announced that anyone with a disability would automatically qualify for public assistance, terminating the providence of any medical or tests going forward.
“All persons, all living with a permanent disability, will be able to access public assistance without any need to qualify, any needs test; it’s all automatic access to public assistance,” she said.
She added that the initiative would take immediate effect across the country, including for those diagnosed with cancer and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
“And secondly, that public assistance will be provided to them for the rest of their lives, they do not need to be subjected to any other medical or any other tests going forward… This takes immediate effect right across the country, and it will include persons who are living with HIV and those who have cancer,” the Minister added.
The Minister has explained that this initiative would benefit the disabled community, as it would eliminate the process of persons with disabilities (PWDs) having to go before the Board of Guardians. It would be an automatic system as long as persons register with the National Commission on Disability (NCD). From there, persons would be added to the Register for Public Assistance.
“It really puts much into the hands of persons who are living with a disability. Of course, we would like to put much more, but this is a step, because no longer will people have to go before the local Board of Guardians, who have persons with disabilities; it is automatic. All they have to do is register with the National Commission on Disability, and the Ministry will provide their applications and they’re on to the Public Assistance Register,” Dr Persaud explained.
This information follows President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s announcement of a one-off cash grant of $100,000 for every child living with a disability. President Ali had explained that his Administration is cognisant of the hardships that parents and guardians of persons with disabilities, especially children, face. These, he noted, would have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and other global shocks that have been having a ripple effect on the rising cost of living.
“With the increases of gas prices that are bringing tremendous hardship globally, we have been supporting every single group…and today we want to give every single child with a disability a cash grant of $100,000 this year,” he had declared earlier in the month.
The Head of State posited that there is a register of about 1000 to 1200 children with disabilities across the country, and each of those children would benefit from this one-off grant.
Dr. Persaud noted that the Government and her Ministry are committed to assisting the disabled community. To this end, she said, PWDs across the country would also receive free support aids.
“We want to ensure that those persons who are living with a disability understand the Government of Guyana’s commitment to them; and from the Ministry of Human Services’ level, our personal commitment to all persons living with disabilities. this is in addition to us providing, across the country, free support aids to people who need them. Be it wheelchairs, white canes, canes, hearing aids, these will be made available to persons living with disabilities at no cost,” she said.