NEARLY 60,000 Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) beneficiaries, mainly children, have lost benefits totalling $401 million for failing to comply with the stipulations.

The action was noted in the supplementary estimates which were tabled in the House of Representatives last week Tuesday, and additional details were provided in the summary notes of the budget submitted by financial secretary Devon Rowe, at Wednesday’s review of the figures by Parliament’s Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) at Gordon House.

Rowe told PAAC members that the beneficiaries were not complying with the requirements of the programme hence the decision to cut their benefits. However, he said that the benefits would be restored once they resume fulfilling their obligations.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Alvin McIntosh, told the Jamaica Observer Friday that beneficiaries have to maintain the compliance conditions or lose the benefits.

He said that the children are expected to maintain 85 per cent attendance record at school and visit public health facilities on a regular basis.

“This programme is focused on education and health, and the philosophy is that if you are healthy and educated you stand a better chance of obtaining and keeping employment and, therefore, you have to meet these requirements to remain a beneficiary,” he said.

But the permanent secretary pointed out that not all the benefits are immediately withdrawn from the families.

“They still get a base benefit until they begin to perform again,” McIntosh stated.

“We know that people are having challenges, so we don’t leave them alone. We have social workers within the communities to help them to start again, and I have no doubt that they will be back,” he insisted.

“Nobody is short-changing poor people, but there is a compliance element that must be observed or funding for the programme could be affected,” he added.

McIntosh also confirmed that benefits being paid to the 400,000 PATH beneficiaries are going to be revised this year.

“The programme is financed by the Government of Jamaica and the World Bank, and the agreement specifies the conditions under which the benefits are provided, including that the beneficiaries must be periodically re-certified on a regular basis in case their conditions change,” he stated.

PATH’s conditions for health clinic visits are as follows: birth to six months — every two months; seven to 72 months — every six months; pregnant mothers — every two months; lactating mothers — six weeks and two months after delivery; elderly (60 and over) — every six months; poor adults, 18-60 — two visits every six months. Where two health visits are required, each visit must be six months apart.

Children over six years of age must be attending a government-funded school and must maintain a minimum monthly attendance record of 85 per cent in order to satisfy the conditionality for the education grant.

Beneficiaries are also required to report to the PATH office any family changes that could impact the receipt of benefits. These include: death of a family member; removal or migration of a family member; additions to the family by birth, adoption, marriage or new living arrangements or change of school or health centre.