More households to benefit from leap programme

About 140,000 households are to benefit from the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Programme (LEAP) with effect from Monday, a Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mr John Alexander Ackon, has said.

According to him, the figure is an increment from 71,936 households since 2013. Announcing the 39th cycle LEAP payment at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, Mr Ackon said the new figure would translate into at least 800,000 individuals benefiting from the programme.

He expressed the view that with the increase in beneficiaries, the ministry was certainly on track to achieve the 200,000 beneficiary household target by January 2016.

Second cash transfer

He further stated that beneficiaries of LEAP 1000 targeted at pregnant women and children less than two years old would also receive their second cash transfer on Monday in three districts in the Upper East Region and seven districts in the Northern Region, respectively.

The deputy minister explained that the programme aimed at tackling malnutrition and preventing stunted growth among children and reducing maternal mortality in the country.

He added that 6,124 women across the country had so far benefited from the LEAP 1,000 programme. Mr Ackon indicated that apart from the increase in households, the cash transfer to beneficiaries was also increased in the 38th cycle payment.

He said one-member households which received GH¢48.00 now receive GH¢64.00 while two-member households now receive GH¢72 instead of the previous GH¢60.

Three-member households get GH¢88 instead of GH¢72 and four or more member-households are now to be paid GH¢106 instead of the previous GH¢90.