Volunteers wanted to oversee welfare appeals
(CNS): The social development ministry is looking for five volunteers with experience and qualifications to sit on the Financial Assistance Appeals Tribunal, a new public body that will hear and determine appeals against decisions made by the Department of Financial Assistance under the new law. Officials said the tribunal will comprise a qualified lawyer as chair, a deputy chair with at least five years experience in health and human services, a member with three years finance experience and two more suitable members.
Rather than making political appointments, the ministry is making a public appeal for volunteers who do not work for the government and will be able to make critical decisions about the community’s most vulnerable people. Applicants will be shortlisted and undergo an interview process by a committee from the ministry. Successful applicants will then be recommended for Cabinet approval, officials stated.
The members will hear appeals where the department’s director has refused to reconsider a decision or a reconsideration that an applicant feels is wrong in law. The tribunal will hear challenges from applicants over the amount, duration, attached conditions, suspensions of financial support or where money has been revoked, refused or recovered under the regulations.
Those regulations have not yet been drawn up following the passage of the new law last year, which has established the framework for a complete overhaul of how welfare is distributed in the Cayman Islands. Speaking at a recent public meeting, Social Development Minister André Ebanks said he expected that the new regulations supporting the law would be rolled out in April and that there would be full public engagement with the community.
In the meantime, work is underway to establish the independent tribunal, which will be a key factor in ensuring the fairness of the new system.
Anyone interested in applying is asked to read the Terms of Reference, understand the functions and roles being sought for the tribunal and complete all required fields of the application form. Applicants will be shortlisted and undergo an interview process by a committee from the ministry. Successful applicants will then be recommended for Cabinet approval.
The deadline for the first round of appointments to the Tribunal is 17 February. Applications received after this deadline will be held by the ministry and considered as and when vacancies arise in the tribunal. Public officers are ineligible to be considered for appointment due to the remit/nature of the tribunal.
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Category: Local News, Politics
Meanwhile, staple-providing Cayman businesses are somehow allowed to invent their own forex rates for different transactions and customers. For USD credit card purchases, many charge 1.25 on KYD–>USD, a full extra 4% retail spread over fixed government exchange rates, without prosecution, or consumer warning. When will we see a crackdown on government-sanctioned consumer robbery? We are all moving towards the poor house, just some faster than others.
Consumer protection legislation is seriously needed.
Need interest rate control legislation.
$125 for the Chairperson and Deputy, and $100 for other members, per meeting? Surely they are delusional!
Let’s hope this will lead to Generational Caymainan Women who are also generational NAU beneficiaries whose children are in foster care STOP getting rent and other benefits from NAU … time to go and look for work and stop having children who we end up taking care of !!!!
When local public schools get a proper sex education curriculum that would be a big help to reduce all the unplanned, welfare and teen pregnancies (since so many parents seem to have absolutely no time or knowledge of how to discuss this topic)
I agree, but wishful thinking. This is Cayman.
Sure, we’ll schedule that in right before the weekly exorcisms.
This is not happening in Cayman on the scale you think it is. Quit using racist benchmarking from other jurisdictions to justify prejudice towards Caymanians.
Besides if women with children are seeking public assistance it means the fathers are not active in the children’s lives or they are not willing to contribute to household expenses only pampers and milk for the children.
Rent, groceries, childcare, transportation is expensive $2500-$4000/ month can’t cover one person’s expenses here let alone a family.
blind leading the blind.
bring in means testing ..end of story.
There is already means testing, and surprisingly it is more stringent than many think hence why this tribunal is being put in place. In case you missed it in the article – the tribunal will consider applications that we NOT accepted for whatever reason and make the final decision on whether or not to grant financial assistance.
Danger pay?
Totally agree 824am that will eliminate the powder puff crew already line up for this committee .In fact random drug test need to be done on all applicants .Good bye what a mess .
If I was on the committee, first thing would be mandatory drug testing for all able bodied applicants.
They are talking about a NAU Appeals Tribunal. Not the NAU.
Another committee? We have more committees (paid ones) to oversee the committee whose being paid to get the job done. So who’s going to oversee this new committee?
I would like to volunteer to be on a committee to review MP salaries and perks.
A volunteer committee to do the job of well paid Civil Servants. Sounds about right.
#worldclass
It appears that the PACK is now setting up Council committees as is done in the US and other cointries. A committee was set up for OFREG and now this one is being set up. I can see the pros and con to individuals being vetted by their peers rather than an elected official. However whether or not these committees are non-partisan will determine the success. If the applicants did not vote for the government and all the other boxes are ticked will they be welcome to join?. I know persons who can’t get a job because members of their family associated with the now Opposition. These committees need to be real and not an excuse to pass the blame. Just saying!