The government has released GH¢139,257,363. 97 to be disbursed to 350,000 beneficiary households under the 96th cycle of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme.The disbursement, which began yesterday, would cut across 260 metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies.Announcing this at a press briefing, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, said the government had increased the 2025 LEAP Programme budget allocation to GH¢953.5 million, a significant rise from GH¢728.8 million in 2024.Dr Lartey further revealed that the number of LEAP beneficiary households would also increase from 350,000 to 400,000 in the coming months, with an ongoing reassessment exercise underway to support the expansion.She mentioned that the increased benefits will be aimed at cushioning the country's most vulnerable households against inflation and economic shocks.Additionally, she disclosed that the government through the Ministry, had taken decisive steps to increase the real value of the LEAP cash transfer by implementing an indexation policy, adjusting the grant to reflect current inflation trends to help enhance the programme's impact on key development outcomes such as nutrition, education, health, and social inclusion."The Government is committed to reducing the cost of living for the most vulnerable by ensuring that the real value of the LEAP grant is preserved despite rising inflation," she emphasised."Under the new structure, a beneficiary household would receive GH¢320, up from GH¢256, Two-member households will now receive GH¢380, up from GH¢304, Three-member households will get GH¢440, up from GH¢352, and Households with four or more eligible members will receive GH¢530, up from GH¢424," Dr Lartey highlighted.This, she noted that the LEAP Programme prioritises extremely poor households with persons in vulnerable categories such as orphans and vulnerable children, the elderly (65+ years) without support, persons with severe disabilities who cannot work, and extremely poor pregnant women or lactating mothers with infants under one year.Moreover, Dr Lartey urged beneficiary households to use the funds wisely by prioritising nutrition, children's education, and investing in small income-generating activities.
She also encouraged the development of savings culture in order to ensure long-term economic resilience."LEAP is more than just cash support, it is a foundation for empowering the most vulnerable to live in dignity, improve their well-being, and contribute meaningfully to national development," the Minister elaborated.She then commended the ministry's development partners for their continued support and called for additional collaboration to address gaps in programme coverage, stressing that strategic partnerships were essential to achieving the broader goals of social protection and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA
