The Welfare Benefits Board has announced that from now on, payments under the Aswesuma benefits programme will be made only to poor and extremely poor families.
Launched in 2023, the programme is entering its second phase this year, with work underway to update beneficiary information.
At its inception, nearly 1.6 million people received allowances under four categories.
However, in April 2025, payments to 315,000 beneficiaries in the transitional category were stopped, while in June 2026, payments to 425,000 beneficiaries in the vulnerable category were also discontinued.
Addressing the media, Assistant Commissioner Ashan Darshaka explained that families within these two categories who are identified as poor or extremely poor will still have the opportunity to re‑qualify for benefits under the revised scheme. (Newswire)