Antigua and Barbuda’s social protection system will continue to widen its reach in 2026, with expanded assistance targeting the poor, elderly, unemployed and those displaced by fires, Governor General Sir Rodney Williams said Thursday in the Throne Speech.
Sir Rodney outlined several programmes providing direct financial and material support to vulnerable groups, including monthly food vouchers, electricity credits for seniors, Social Security assistance for retirees, and housing interventions under the HAPI programme.
He said that “each month, hundreds of thousands of dollars are distributed by food vouchers, provided to the unemployed and to others whose incomes fall below the poverty line,” describing the initiative as part of the government’s effort “to ensure zero hunger within our society.”
For seniors struggling with utility costs, the Governor General highlighted the ongoing electricity support provided through the partnership with Venezuela. “PDV-Caribe also provides a $100 voucher to those in need and older than 65 years, in order to reduce their expenditure on electricity; no-one should dwell in darkness, nor risk fires by burning candles at night,” he said.
Sir Rodney also noted that the Social Security Board continues to safeguard older citizens who lack sufficient contribution histories. “The Social Security Board pays a minimum of $500 dollars monthly to retirees, even those who did not contribute, in order to ensure no-one goes to bed hungry at night,” he said.
Support for the indigent also includes meal assistance. “A soup kitchen is also operated by an NGO that receives public assistance,” he added.
Housing remains a key pillar of the welfare system, particularly for families displaced by fires or living in unsafe structures. Sir Rodney highlighted the HAPI initiative—Housing Assistance for the Poor and Indigent—which uses inmate labour from His Majesty’s Prison to provide reconstruction support. He said the programme “utilizes the talent locked-up in His Majesty’s Prison to build homes for those who have lost everything in fires, or whose homes are less than acceptable for human habitation.”
Framing the overall approach as one rooted in compassion, Sir Rodney reiterated that “it is a government that has a heart and is caring,” crediting the minister responsible for Housing and Social Transformation as someone who “embodies the kindest, most gentle spirit of this administration.”
The Throne Speech positioned these social-support programmes as central to the government’s commitment to ensuring no vulnerable resident is left behind as the country enters the next quarter century of national development.
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