Major changes are being implemented under the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) following a review that found it was proving too difficult for some Jamaicans who qualify to access the social safety net initiative.

The changes are being implemented to strengthen the programme while making the experience a far less frustrating and cumbersome undertaking.

“We found that getting on to PATH was difficult,” Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr said Tuesday during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.

He explained the three steps to accessing PATH, beginning with a preliminary assessment using the Beneficiary Management Information System (BMIS). At this stage, prospective beneficiaries visit a PATH office and answer a number of questions. The second stage sees social workers going into the field to conduct verification. Under phase three, applicants participate in an orientation and training session.

“Our review established that steps two and three could at times be delayed for months, leaving applicants in a state of uncertainty despite the fact that they received preliminary approval,” said Charles Jr.

He told the House that the most recent data, based on the assessments, found that more than 80 per cent of those who did the preliminary assessment would eventually be verified.

“That said, effective immediately, things will change. All eligible applicants who are provisionally approved under step one, which is the BMIS approval process, will no longer face unnecessary delays under this Government,” said the minister. Those who are preliminarily approved will advance immediately to a temporary payable status once confirmed by the BMIS system.

Charles Jr said the Ministry of Labour and Social Security will strengthen and modernise the verification and orientation process, utilising clearer timelines, improved operational standards, and enhanced verification mechanisms.

“This is a significant shift away from excessive bureaucracy and towards the focus of delivering impact for the people of Jamaica,” he said.

He emphasised that checks and balances are very important when effectively implemented, and noted that the changes to PATH will remove barriers to efficiency and strengthen accountability systems.

“Most of all, they will help people who need that help the most,” he stated.

The second major issue identified during the review relates to recertification, which is the process through which the ministry reviews and reassesses a beneficiary’s household information after a period of time, which is usually four years. This allows the ministry to determine whether that household continues to qualify for the benefit, should they remain on PATH, should there be changes to a household’s status one way or the other.

“What the review revealed is that for far too many beneficiaries, legitimate changes affecting their status were not being updated because of issues in the system,” Charles Jr shared. He said that as a result, some beneficiaries experienced delays and interruptions, while others were left stalled within the recertification process.

Changes not reflected included children moving from primary to secondary school, and another child being born into a household.

According to the labour and social security minister, “Social protection systems must be responsive to the changing realities and needs of the people that they are designed to serve. That is why the ministry is now strengthening the recertification framework to ensure that household updates are processed more efficiently, status changes are reflected more quickly, and eligible beneficiaries receive the appropriate level of support to which they are entitled.”

In order to fix this problem, beneficiaries who were previously stalled within the recertification process, due to unresolved status update issues, will now be immediately progressively released and regularised as the ministry accelerates the reconciliation and updating of affected cases.

Charles Jr said the the reform will allow eligible beneficiaries to transition into their correct benefit category more efficiently while ensuring that the support reaches families at the level for which they genuinely qualify.

“Recertification must not become a barrier to assistance; it must function as a pathway to fairness, accuracy, and responsive support,” Charles Jr insisted.

He also said efforts will be advanced to rid the programme of people who are not eligible or no longer eligible.

Charles Jr told the Parliament that PATH delivered more than $9.1 billion in direct cash grants to over 240,000 beneficiaries during the last financial year.

Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr making his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, May 19. (Photo: JIS)