Increase in number of N. Sembilan Welfare Dept aid recipients next year - Exco

SEREMBAN, Nov 30 -- The number of Social Welfare Department (JKM) aid recipients in Negeri Sembilan is expected to increase by five per cent to 28,007 individuals by next year, following the revision of the poverty line income (PGK) limit.

State Women, Family and Welfare Affairs Action Committee chairman Nicole Tan Lee Koon said this was due to the eligibility conditions for applications for welfare financial assistance having been raised to the 2019 food PGK limit of RM1,169, effective January 2022.

“Thus far, the number of aid recipients in the state is 26,674 individuals involving a total expenditure of RM130.3 million as of last October,” she said during a question and answer session at the Negeri Sembilan State Assembly sitting today.

She said this in her reply to a question raised by Datuk Adnan Abu Hassan (BN-Senaling) on ​​the impact of the increase in PGK to the people of Negeri Sembilan, especially to recipients of assistance under JKM.

Meanwhile, Tan, who is also Bukit Kepayang assemblywoman, said there were 11 registered and two unregistered care centres for the elderly in the state reported to be involved with COVID-19 infection so far.

She said the district authorised officers had monitored the standard operating procedures of COVID-19 at  45 registered and two unregistered care centres, at least once, from January to May this year.

“The monitoring found that 43 care centres complied with Act 342 while the other two were non-compliance,” she said.

She was responding to a supplementary question from Yap Yew Weng (PH-Mambau) on the action taken by JKM to ensure that care centres for the elderly are safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In another development, Tan said to reduce the burden of disaster victims, JKM would channel several other assistance including natural disaster immediate assistance, which is a lump sum payment with a maximum of RM400 either in the form of cash or food items or both.

“Apart from that, the provision of food kits in the form of dried food items worth RM100 is being considered for flood victims who moved to temporary evacuation centres and RM50 for those who did not,” she said.

She said this in her reply to a question from Mustapha Nagoor (BN-Palong) who wanted to know the assistance provided by the state government in helping flood victims in the state.

-- BERNAMA