By: Staff Writer
May 29, Colombo (LNW): In a move to bolster support for vulnerable groups, Sri Lanka will expand its Aswesuma welfare program, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa announced this week. The revised benefits include extended payment periods and increased monthly allowances for key vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, persons with disabilities, and kidney disease patients.
The monthly stipend for persons with disabilities will rise from Rs. 7,500 to Rs. 10,000, while elderly beneficiaries will see their payments increase from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000 starting April 2025. Additionally, benefits for persons with disabilities and kidney patients will continue until December 31, 2025.
Although support for individuals in the transitional category of Aswesuma will conclude after April, their dependents with special needs will still be eligible for aid. Newly approved applications from disabled individuals and kidney patients will also receive support through the end of the year.
Currently, 1.7 million Sri Lankans receive Aswesuma benefits. The Ministry plans to empower 1.5 million of these individuals over the next five years, starting with 300,000 in 2025, through initiatives in livelihood development, infrastructure, and social welfare.
The Ministry of Finance oversees the selection and distribution of Aswesuma aid, while Jayatissa’s ministry focuses on uplifting low-income communities through empowerment programs. Proposed initiatives include a new social security scheme for low-income earners, the ‘Smart Villages’ program, support for rural microfinance borrowers, and stronger protections for disabled persons and those suffering from kidney disease.
Complementing these efforts, the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) recently released a study titled “Estimating the Effectiveness of Aswesuma: Targeting and Welfare Outcomes in Post-Crisis Sri Lanka.” Conducted by Dr. Pulasthi Amarasinghe, the research evaluates the program’s ability to accurately identify poor households and its impact on improving welfare outcomes.
The study recommends refining Aswesuma’s selection criteria, which currently rely on 22 indicators across six dimensions—education, health, housing, economic status, family structure, and assets. It emphasizes the need to better address both chronic and transient poverty and suggests incorporating new factors such as climate change vulnerability and disaster preparedness.
Following the 2022 economic crisis that pushed poverty rates from 11.3% in 2019 to 25% in 2022 (World Bank), Aswesuma was introduced as a replacement for the Samurdhi program. Its aim is to deliver more targeted assistance and lift households out of poverty using a multidimensional approach and flexible benefit durations based on need.
As Sri Lanka continues its economic recovery, the expanded Aswesuma program is seen as a crucial pillar in rebuilding social protection and reducing long-term poverty
