Cabinet earmarks JD19 million for social care programmes

AMMAN — The Social Development Ministry on Thursday said the Cabinet, in its Wednesday meeting, pledged JD19 million to the social aid sector, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The ministry will begin implementing the decision, which will target certain families, later this month.

The funding will raise the allocations of the National Aid Fund (NAF) to 10 per cent at an annual cost of JD10 million, increase monthly aid to 9,000 households by JD20 (from JD180 to JD200), allocate JD1.5 million for the most underprivileged families, and distribute JD3 million to underprivileged people in the winter aid.

The measures also includes writing off loans extended by NAF to 1,000 underprivileged families where the father has died, exempting underprivileged families from admission fees to day shelters for disabled children , increasing salaries of employees at those shelters at a cost of JD1 million, as well as restructuring the regulations for NAF monthly aid to underprivileged families.

The measures came as part of the government’s efforts to help underprivileged families and foster more economic and social stability, according to Petra.