Sri Lanka extends ‘Aswesuma’ welfare payments to December 2024

Under the “Aswesuma” Welfare Benefit Payment Program in Sri Lanka, the Welfare Benefits Board has deposited Rs. 11.6 billion into the bank accounts of 622,495 beneficiaries in the transitional and vulnerable categories on Thursday, June 27, for the June 2024 payments.

In the first phase of the program, from July 2023 to March 31, 2024, beneficiaries in the vulnerable category received Rs. 5,000 each. Those in the transitional category received Rs. 2,500 each from July 2023 to December 31, 2023.

Due to the current economic situation, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed the Welfare Benefits Board to extend the payment period for special allowances under the “Aswesuma” program until December 2024, according to the President’s Media Division.

As part of this extension, a special allowance was given for June 2024, followed by monthly payments of Rs. 5,000 from July 2024 to December 2024.

Additionally, Jayantha Wijeratne, Chairman/Commissioner of the Welfare Benefits Board, confirmed that the current payment system for the extremely poor and poor categories will remain unchanged.