PM: 2,765 Tobagonians collect relief grants

THE Prime Minister has disputed claims that Tobagonians have not been receiving assistance grants from the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services.

Speaking during an interview on Tobago Channel 5 on Tuesday, Dr Rowley said, to date, 2,765 Tobagonians have received grants from the ministry in the categories of income support, rental assistance, and food support.

“That’s a long way from nobody," he said.

“The first thing is that the people who are receiving are not saying anything. Those who are receiving it are not saying anything because they have no reason to say anything. It is the ones who are not receiving it who are talking about what they have not received. But very many people have received.”

Rowley said the claim that nobody received grants in Tobago troubled him.

“The people in Tobago are receiving grants. There is still a number of people to be processed but when I examine that people were not receiving grants in Tobago, they had a number of grant applications to process and the system was working, albeit not fast enough. But it is not correct to say that nobody is receiving grants."

Rowley said people who have been paying NIS will be processed more quickly.

“The people who are registered, if your employer was complying with the law, registering you through the NIB and paying your NIS contribution, there is a record of you. Those are the easy ones to deal with and the NIB is handling those people who had records at NIB.”

Rowley acknowledged the painstaking progress of the process but said checks and balances are important.

“You have to understand that you cant just give anybody who comes and says that I want it and I qualify. You have to determine that they qualify through the process. The process is a slow process.

“We have said that we would give rent support to people and in examining the situation, very early in the process, what we are facing four people in a household and all four of them attempt to claim the rent grant. The problem is that we have to determine that you qualify for it.”