Tyrone Reid, Enterprise Reporter

With just a couple months to its fifth anniversary, the Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) has turned down more than 650,000 applications for assistance and accepted approximately 245,000 at a cost of more than $2.8 billion.

PATH was engineered to target 236,000 persons deemed to be the most vulnerable in society. PATH is the new face of state welfare programmes and is really an amalgamation of the Food Stamp, Old Age and Incapacity Allowance and the Outdoor Poor Relief.

Faith Innerarity, chief technical director of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, said that people are turned down for one reason only: "They do not meet the eligibility criteria for the programme, in other words they do not pass the means test."

Recently, Dr. Chris Tufton, president of Generation 2000 (G2K) - the youth arm of the Jamaica Labour Party - labelled the means applied by the ministry as a deterrent to financially-challenged families accessing the benefits available under the programme.

Means test

While admitting that the test is not impeccable, Mrs. Innerarity defended the integrity of the 33-question means test. "No single factor determines eligibility. PATH uses a range of socio-economic indicators to determine eligibility," she explained.

"The proxy means test is based on the Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions."

Additionally, she stressed that PATH is apolitical. "That is why we have a means test."

The controversial test asks questions like: "What is the main material of the outer wall of your house?" and "What kind of toilet facilities are used by your family?"

Stacy-Ann Barnes, planning and monitoring manager for PATH, told The Sunday Gleaner that results are not cast in stone, as persons can appeal. She explained that households which fall just outside the required score, fall into a category labelled "automatic appeal" and do not need to file an appeal themselves.

After acceptance, there is a training period referred to as enrolment, where the beneficiaries are informed of the requirements.

Grants and goods

And although a household might score well on the test and be admitted, it does not mean that every member of that household would become a PATH beneficiary. "These include: children from birth to 17 years old, pregnant and lactating women, persons over 60 years old and persons with disabilities.

"This programme is not catering for persons in the economically active population. (however) in the programme, we do make provision for what we call the indigent or destitute poor."

Ineligible persons are usually referred to other programmes such as the rehabilitation grant programme.

PATH beneficiaries are paid $1,060 every two months in addition to the health and education benefits.

Some changes are in the pipeline for PATH, however, including the introduction of cash cards later this year. This is intended to eliminate the visit to the post office to collect the cheques.

"We are going to do it in an experimental way first and see how well it works. it will be through a bank like an ABM card," revealed Mrs. Innerarity.

Among other proposed amendments is a revamping of the means test as it is currently underperforming in its selection of households from the urban areas.

Stressing that PATH is superior to the programmes that preceded it, Mrs. Innerarity explained that of the $2.8 billion spent as at March 31, 2006, $2.5 billion (88 per cent) has been distributed to the beneficiaries in the form of grants and goods, while $331.6 million (12 per cent) has been directed to administrative costs.

PATH benefit types and conditionalities

Benefits under PATH are organised around two main groupings: health and education grants. The receipt of benefits is conditional on beneficiaries fulfilling specific health and educational requirements as detailed below.

Type of grant and conditionality

Health

• Age: less than 12 months..................................................... .....• Visit health centre once every two months

• One to six years not enrolled in primary school........................• Visit health centre once every six months

• Pregnant and lactating..............................................................• 4 visits to health centre or pro rata basis

• Elderly, persons with disabilities, other destitute adults............• Visit health centre once every six months

Education

• Six years and enrolled in school but less than 18 years.......... • Minimum 85 per cent attendance level at school