KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has reported that disbursement under the Restoration of Owner-Occupants Family Shelters (ROOFS) Programme is now at $8.25 billion of the $10 billion allocated.

In a media release on Wednesday, the ministry said this reflects a major scale-up of support to households affected by Hurricane Melissa last October.

According to the ministry, this latest figure shows an additional $3 billion in allocations and will see 14,000 new beneficiaries receiving assistance.

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr said this reflects the Government’s commitment to sustained and efficient support for affected families.

“We are committed to strengthening our systems and operations to meet the growing demand, and we will continue working to ensure that as many families as possible receive the support they need to rebuild,” said Charles Jr.

He pointed out that beneficiaries are actively accessing building materials through a growing network of hardware suppliers onboarded under the programme by the contracted service provider, WiPay.

“This remains a critical component of the Government’s strategy to deliver timely, practical support for home repairs,” added Charles Jr.

He declared that funds under the ROOFS Programme are not exhausted in response to reports of challenges some people have faced in accessing the money allocated to them.

The release from the ministry stated that some challenges experienced at collection points have been linked to beneficiaries arriving outside established operating hours (8:00 am to 5:00 pm), as well as the current limitation in the number of locations facilitating the $75,000 cash grant, which is designed to provide flexibility for urgent repair needs.

Charles Jr has reportedly met with the service provider and corrective measures are already underway to expand the number of cash-out locations.

Kibwe McGann, country manager of WiPay, has also underscored the programme’s readiness and ongoing expansion.

“All approved allocations under the ROOFS Programme are fully secured and available for disbursement. There is no limitation in funding, and payments to beneficiaries are continuing on an ongoing basis. Our current priority is to expand access points across the island to better meet the growing demand. As participation increases, we are scaling up our distribution network and enhancing options available to beneficiaries for cash disbursement channels,” the release quoted McGann as saying.

“The ministry is reminding beneficiaries that notifications will be issued via text message with QR and voucher codes. Upon receipt, individuals are encouraged to redeem their benefits promptly.

“The ministry will continue to provide updates, including new collection points, via its official channels www.mlss.gov.jm and Instagram (@mlssjamaica). A real-time list of participating locations is accessible through the WiPay platform at npcja.com,” the release said.

Under the ROOFS programme, householders whose properties were damaged when the Category 5 storm hit Jamaica are eligible to receive $75,000 for minor damage, $200,000 for major damage, and $500,000 for cases classified as extreme damage.