Report By: Ishmael Barfi
The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection has announced a significant expansion of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) program, increasing its coverage to 400,000 households nationwide.
This initiative aims to provide financial support to the most vulnerable members of society.
In the 2025 budget, the government has allocated GH₵953.5 million to the LEAP program, which marks a substantial increase from the GH₵728.8 million allocated in the 2024 budget.
This additional funding will enable the program to reach more households and provide greater support to beneficiaries.
To ensure that beneficiaries receive adequate assistance, the ministry has introduced a new inflation-adjusted payment structure.
Under this new scheme, households with one eligible member will receive GH₵320, up from GH₵256, two-member households will receive GH₵380, increased from GH₵304, three-member households will receive GH₵440, up from GH₵352, and households with four or more eligible members will receive GH₵530, up from GH₵424.
During a press briefing in Accra, the Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, encouraged beneficiaries to use the grant wisely, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing household nutrition, children’s education, and income-generating activities, while also fostering a savings culture based on clear household needs and goals.
The LEAP program specifically targets the most vulnerable members of society, including orphans and vulnerable children, elderly persons aged 65 and above without support, individuals with severe disabilities who are unable to work, and extremely poor pregnant and lactating women with infants under one year old.
By expanding the LEAP program and introducing an inflation-adjusted payment structure, the government aims to provide meaningful support to vulnerable households and help them improve their living standards.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
