The Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation’s National Social Protection Fund is planning to launch a village-level campaign to register vulnerable people with IDPoor equity cards and their family members, in order to allow them to access the fund’s family package from next year.
The campaign is set to run from April 1-20, explained the fund in a statement.
“So as to register beneficiaries of the programme so they receive timely payments, we are going to run a campaign which will allow them to register in their villages,” it said.
The statement added that in order to register for the Family Package, certain criteria must be met. Family heads or representatives must have original and valid IDPoor equity cards (Type 1 or 2) and Cambodian National ID cards.
People with disabilities must have original and valid IDPoor equity cards (Type 1 or 2), as well as original disability cards, issued by the social affairs ministry.
In addition, people aged 60 and over must have original and valid IDPoor cards, national ID or birth certificates. People living with HIV/AIDS will be automatically registered for the programme, based on information from the head of their family.
If families fail to register at the village level, they can do so at their nearest commune hall, it continued.
Tum Vira, executive director of HelpAge Cambodia, said on March 25 that the campaign appeared to be an excellent way of ensuring that vulnerable families will benefit from the programme.
He added that going directly to local communities to register people was important, as some eligible people may not be aware that assistance is available, or find the process of registration too difficult.
“Therefore, it is a great that the state has instructed the ministry to register them directly,” he continued.
Vira said that although the family package will benefit elderly people with equity cards, it will not support all older people.
He noted that people aged 60 and over who do not have cards still face the loss of opportunities to earn income, and also encounter other problems.
He explained that Thailand has IDPoor programmes and training courses for small-scale occupations that are designed to support the general elderly population, but Cambodia does not.
“Unfortunately, we still lack formal support for all elderly people. A recent UNDP study also encouraged the government to care more for elderly people,” he added.
In December last year, the government rolled out four National Social Assistance Programmes for the Family Package: A cash support programme for pregnant women and children under 2 years old, a scholarship programme for poor primary and secondary students, cash support for persons with disabilities, and a cash support programme for people aged 60 and older.
