NAU offers more resources under new policies
(CNS): As the Needs Assessment Unit (NAU) prepares to morph into the Financial Assistance Department and new legislation providing for Cayman’s future welfare needs is rolled out, the Ministry of Social Development has implemented a series of enhancements to financial assistance programmes to provide better support.
People facing emergency situations can now get immediate relief for one month; money for accommodation, food and utilities has been increased; a new one-time rental deposit of up to $3,000 and new payments for internet, phone and transportation are also available.
After many years of neglect and concerns about how welfare support was allocated and its failure to improve the lives of those it was supposed to assist, Minister André Ebanks took over the Social Development portfolio after the 2021 General Elections and began the task of making radical changes. He is implementing a system that aims to get those who are able back into work and to remove the barriers that have so far made it very difficult for those living on the poverty line.
In a release about the changes, Ebanks said that input from the community following the public consultation was invaluable. “The feedback received at the close of last year and during the development of the new act and associated regulations has guided our decisions, instilling confidence that these reforms will significantly improve the lives of those dependent on our services,” he said. “For too long, changes to financial assistance have been static or incremental one-offs that have not been community or data-driven.”
The minister said that in light of current economic and societal pressures, it was time for more strident steps to help the most vulnerable in the community and provide stronger opportunities for them to enter the formal economy. The new resources on offer aim to support individuals and households in need, and are aligned with the Financial Assistance Act, 2022 and associated regulations that will be implemented in full later this year.
The adoption of the new policies provides an opportunity to iron out any problems and monitor the implementation and delivery before the official commencement of the new legislation, the release said. The goal is to make welfare provision contingent on clear criteria and provide what families need to get back on the road to self-sufficiency.
Those in emergency situations can now receive immediate relief even if they are unable to provide all of the documentation outlining their eligibility. This is to help people navigate times of crisis, allowing them time to gather documents and make an application for formal assistance.
With rents skyrocketing, the challenge of finding affordable accommodation and then having to pay one month upfront as well as one month down for a deposit is making far too many people homeless. Therefore, the unit can now provide a one-off deposit, which it will pay to landlords to secure stable housing for families in need.
More money is also available for accommodation, utilities, and food, determined by the size of the family. Recognising the importance of connectivity and mobility, NAU has also expanded its services to include internet, transportation, and phone assistance. This is to help families stay connected during challenging times and to help them get into and retain jobs.
The NAU has also implemented new policies for those on long-term assistance, mostly the elderly or disabled, who are unlikely to be able to work. Older people, including couples living with their adult children, adults living with their parents, or those with permanent disabilities currently living with others, can now apply for long-term financial assistance as if they were living alone. They will not need to provide financial information for other household members, and their income alone will be used to determine the amount of financial assistance they may qualify for.
Long-term financial assistance will also be provided to all qualifying individuals up to their deficit amount, with exceptions made for those with no other income. Tiered income and savings eligibility criteria have been established, tailored to household size and composition.
NAU Director Tamara Hurlston said that all the enhancements represent a significant step forward in serving individuals and families in need, offering immediate relief and expanding services for essential needs such as internet, transportation and phone assistance.
“These changes demonstrate our collective commitment to providing comprehensive and meaningful support to those who rely on us,” she said.
Current clients should note that no re-application is necessary to implement these changes. Adjustments to increased food assistance amounts will immediately come into force for eligible clients. Other services will be adjusted as current approvals end or new applications are submitted so that the assistance provided covers the shortfall clients are experiencing. Online application forms for new applicants now include these new services.
See the tables below outlining the increased financial resources available.
For more information visit www.nau.gov.ky, call 946-0024 or email NAUInfo@gov.ky
or visit 55 South Church Street in George TownOr visit 23 Dennis Foster Road on Cayman Brac (345) 948-8758.
Anyone with information about fraud relating to welfare support can call the hotline on 1-8000-534-0024
| Accommodation | Up to $3000/month |
| Utilities | Up to $600/month |
| Food | Up to $850 per month |
| Internet | $100/month |
| Transportation | $100/month |
| Phone | $150/month |
| Household Maximums | Households of 1 to 3 Persons | Households of 4 to 6 Persons | Household of 7 or More Persons |
| Maximum Income | $3,000 | $3,500 | $4,000 |
| Maximum Savings | $3,000 | $3,500 | $4,000 |
| Maximum Savings for Households with Older Persons or Adults with Permanent Disabilities | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 |
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Is anyone surprised? Mo money. Mo money. Mo money.
Thank u God. This is long overdue. Tyad a strugglin wid nau ya now. info, info, info. wtf. God tks.
This is not good. Just makes people not have the desire to work. Why bother when everything is handed to them?
Go to the U.S. and see what welfare has done to generations of families. They get stuck in a cycle of demanding more and never being motivated to get off the benefits as they get more sitting at home.
Bad move Cayman. The only people who deserve any benefits would be the elderly.
The U.S. truly fares no better, it’s just that the reporting is more profound. That hardly means that defrauders are being hooked up. It just means that there are more reports.
Bet you most of those calls will be made to the neighborhood dealer and Dominos. SMH $150 is crazy!
Andre Ebanks, Cayman’s own Justin Trudeau.
Justin who?
What about assistance for patients who occupy beds at the hospital as they have no home/caregiver to go to? A number of HSA hospital beds are filled with such people. Wonder if Hon Health Minister is even aware?
She too busy propping up fail crime policies needs to be voted out immediately just another do nothing political hack touting civil service virtues as solutions . Regret giving her my vote !
Cayman has the choice of becoming a failing welfare state like many European states which cannot balance their books — or, demanding that people and families are self-sufficient, like Singapore, which is thriving.
Singapore is plainly the superior model.
…but there are more wotes for corrupt, talentless politicians in cash giveaways. So that’s what will happen.
Planes land there everyday. You should try it out.
Our law firms already are. Just wait … in five years the financial services community will move there and there wont be any money for Andre to spray across NAU “clients”.
Singapore is a competitor, and – on any objective measure – has superior governance, superior work ethics, superior family values, and superior local culture.
Be care what you wish for. You need expats, and you should be grateful to them. As the Cayman Compass this week noted (now free to free), expats subsidise Caymanians: https://www.caymancompass.com/2024/03/07/economist-tourism-is-not-key-contributor-to-caymans-economy (I paraphrase).
In terms of the threat from Singapore, see this Financial Times article, “Singapore and Hong Kong vie to be the Caymans (sic) of Asia” which notes:
“The two cities have set up new fund structures to lure wealth away from traditional offshore financial centres… Singapore established the Variable Capital Company, a fund structure that allows a wide range of potential users to shelter large pools of capital in discreet, lightly taxed wrappers domiciled in a well-regulated financial centre… Investor take-up, particularly in Singapore, has been rapid. The bankers, fund managers and lawyers involved in setting them up say their impact could be far more widespread and more disruptive than previously imagined, drawing assets and expertise into the region… The new vehicles represent a direct challenge to traditional offshore finance centres whose success has been built on privacy and low taxes and whose economies are heavily dependent on the revenue generated by financial services… Singaporean authorities, frustrated at the tendency of local fund managers to register investment vehicles offshore rather than in Singapore itself, launched the rival VCC in 2020. It made it easier for overseas and domestic entities to register an investment vehicle in Singapore… For Singapore the rush to establish the new structures has been especially pronounced. “Prior to 2020 the vast majority of Singaporean managers had their funds in offshore jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands, Mauritius or Luxembourg. Now the tables have turned,” says Mahip Gupta, a partner at Singapore-based Dhruva Advisors.“ Since the Variable Capital Company structure was introduced, most have chosen Singapore as their fund domiciliation hub.””
https://www.ft.com/content/88e20280-bb6e-4209-ae76-d7183c60ff62, 20 March 2023.
We are already losing business to Singapore. See our own Economics and Statistics Office (ESO) August 2022 report about how many banks and trusts moved off island compared to the previous year:
“Banks & Trusts: The total value of international banking assets domiciled in the Cayman Islands declined by 12.9 percent to US$518.3 billion in 2021 relative to the previous year. Similarly, international liabilities domiciled locally fell by 13.0 percent to US$517.5billion (see Table 4.1). The Islands’ financial system had cross-border assets of US$503.0 billion, a decline of 13.1 percent, and liabilities of $470.8 billion, a decline of 12.5 percent relative to end-2020.“
https://www.eso.ky/UserFiles/page_docums/files/uploads/the_cayman_islands_annual_economic_repor-7.pdf, page 27
This is outrageous! Developers deserve more waivers!!!!
and the caymanian entitlement culture continues….
Pal, the extreme gentrification has pushed thousands of Caymanians into poverty.
Playground of the rich is hell for many locals.
Stop wasting my time
You know what I want
You know what I need
Or maybe you don’t
Do I have to come right flat out and tell you everything
‘Gimme some money’
Wow! I have a degree, a masters degree and years of experience in my career. After paying pension and health insurance I take home less than this per month.
I’m not against supporting people who need it but this surely just encourages more and more people to stay at home (and in turn more and more labor to be imported)
Born and raised here. No silver spoon but I qualified for a scholarship with my CXCs.
I have a BSci, <10 years work experience and take home 6k after pension/health. I know people without a degree making more.
I guess it's down to your choice of field and how well your employer treats you.
Handout capital of the world.
Qatar would like to have a word with you.
Can someone please explain the eligibility criteria for recipients..?
Just being Caymanian not working is enough to qualify.?
Tax shelter capital of the world
Check the status holders who are here laying up, collecting taxpayers money. Regular number players driving around and enjoying freeness.
Check the status holders who are here laying up, collecting taxpayers money. Regular number players driving around and enjoying freeness.
PS No duplicate
$150 a month for phone? I have three phones (myself, my wife and my daughter) on one plan and pay $101.89 per month (Flow)
Hey Anon 8.13am Could you please post the exact name of that plan, i could use that.
No, they can’t, because it doesn’t exist.
$150 is absolutely ridiculous.
Great, more handouts.
In the UK you have to prove you’re actively seeking employment to get your full benefits. Here I doubt we have that SMH. This country is doomed.
And in the UK your benefits are less than you could earn if you get a job – here its the other way around. Total maximum benefits on the above = $4800 a month; $30 an hour if you work a 40 hr week. Granted that’s per family, but even 2 wage earners would put it at $15. Who is going to get off their NAU teat and look for a job with that kind of disparity. $15 an hour for doing absolutely nothing versus $8.75 for 2 x minimum wage jobs.
You should move back. Planes fly there daily.
How disgraceful of CIG! So many hardworking families are struggling and here they go giving so much to the lazy bums of society. Why would anyone be motivated to take care of their own needs when they can fill out a basic form and get money for doing NOTHING all day long?! Horrible message this is sending and we’re all going to feel the consequence of this.
Drug testing should be mandatory for all who receive handouts. This should be demanded by those who provide the funds…US , the working public.
Agree with you, NAU clients AND work permit holders should do drug testing.
And allow no new babies while collecting either.
My status soon come, can’t wait to get on this gravy train…..
I’m all for helping people who genuinely need help. Hard times cant always be predicted. However, those who can work should be actively looking for work. If you’ve lost your job through no fault of your own that’s a reasonable reason to get assistance. You can rely on it for a bit but you shouldn’t be on it for years on end. Those who receive it need to prove that they are actively looking for new work. Too many people take advantage of these systems. Also ladies, please stop having children you can’t afford with deadbeat men. Most women want kids at some point (myself included) but you cant expect other people to pay to raise your kid.
tax and spend….a recipe for economic disaster
cayman another step closer to becoming a full welfare state for caymanians…(funded by permit holders)
Simple solution is to go home and stop contributing to the problem of Caymanians finally getting a piece of the pie. Win/win, right?
Equivalent of USD$72k a year in benefits, per household, net of health benefits, which the CIG will write-off.
This is more than many hard working families can earn, without being lazy parasites.
And the irony s those hard working Caymanians have to scrimp, and the taxes they pay on food and fuel go to pay these people to stay at home and do jack.
Old retired pensioners that worked hard, yes worked hard, still only getting 1250 p m. they was promised 1500 in January 2024. but so far its not there. sad. very sad indeed.