The government has allocated GH¢139.25 million for disbursement as cash grants to vulnerable households under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme. The 96th payment cycle includes a 25 percent increase in the allowances and covers the period from March to April this year. With this increase, one-member households that previously received GH¢265 will now receive GH¢320. Two-member households will see their payments rise from GH¢304 to GH¢380.
Three-member households will receive GH¢440, up from GH¢352, while households with four or more members will now be paid GH¢530, an increase from GH¢424. These payments, which commenced yesterday, will benefit 350,000 households across 260 metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs).
This marks the second disbursement of funds under the LEAP Programme to beneficiaries this year. The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, announced the latest payments at a press briefing in Accra yesterday.
Background
Earlier this year, the government disbursed GH¢265.22 million for the 94th and 95th payment cycles of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme. The payments, scheduled for the last week of March 2025, benefited 350,000 households across 260 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs). The joint disbursement covered the 94th cycle (November–December 2024) and the 95th cycle (January–February 2025).
Commitment
Dr. Lartey stated that President John Dramani Mahama is committed to reducing the cost of living by implementing targeted and decisive actions aimed at stimulating economic growth and ensuring development for all citizens. She noted that the LEAP cash grant has been significantly increased across all household categories to enhance its real value and impact on key development indicators such as nutrition, healthcare, education, and income-generating activities.
Dr. Lartey explained that this increase is part of the government’s broader efforts to alleviate the effects of rising living costs on the country’s most vulnerable populations. To support this expanded initiative, she announced that the government has allocated GH¢953.5 million to the LEAP Programme in the 2025 budget, a notable increase from the GH¢728.8 million allocated in the previous year.
In addition, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection said steps were underway to scale up the number of beneficiary households from 350,000 to 400,000, following an ongoing reassessment exercise aimed at identifying more households in need. “The ongoing reassessment exercise will help us reach the target of 400,000 beneficiary households in upcoming disbursement cycles,” she said.
Eligibility
Dr Lartey said each household on the programme was supported on their level of poverty and the number of individuals with vulnerabilities. She urged beneficiary families to use the funds wisely, encouraging them to prioritise household nutrition, children’s education and investment in small-scale income-generating activities. “We also call on families to adopt a savings culture that aligns with their consumption needs and long-term household goals,” she added.
Context
The LEAP programme is a flagship initiative under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, with support from the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The LEAP grant is paid bi-monthly, with varied amounts paid to households, depending on their number. Each household on the programme is paid according to the programme’s eligibility criteria, including orphans and vulnerable children, elderly persons (65 years and above) without support, persons with severe disabilities who cannot work, extremely poor pregnant women and lactating mothers with infants under one year.
By: Diana Mensah
