Aswesuma benefit payments will be provided only to poor and extremely poor families under the programme’s next phase, the Welfare Benefits Board (WBB) said.
The Aswesuma welfare scheme, which was launched in 2023, is set to enter its second phase this year, with authorities currently updating beneficiary information.
Nearly 1.6 million beneficiaries received assistance under four categories when the programme was introduced. However, payments to 315,000 beneficiaries in the fourth category, classified as the transitional group, were discontinued in April 2025.
In addition, payments to 425,000 beneficiaries in the third category, identified as vulnerable households, were halted from June this year.
The Assistant Commissioner of the Welfare Benefits Board, Ashan Darshaka said families previously classified under the vulnerable and transitional categories would be eligible to receive benefits again if they are found to be living in poverty or extreme poverty following the reassessment process.
