The government is set to enrol 400,000 additional vulnerable households onto the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme as part of efforts to expand social protection coverage across the country.

The move follows a reassessment of existing beneficiaries, which showed that more than 70 per cent of households had improved their incomes and livelihoods, enabling between 220,000 and 350,000 households to exit the cash transfer scheme.

The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, disclosed this during a three-day working visit to beneficiary communities in the Northern and North East Regions.

The visit was to monitor the ongoing nationwide onboarding exercise and assess the implementation of the programme.

Dr Lartey explained that the exit of self-sufficient households had created both fiscal and structural space for the enrolment of newly identified vulnerable households.

She said the Ministry of Finance had allocated GH¢1.1 billion to sustain the programme and ensure the effectiveness of the social safety net.

According to her, beneficiary households would receive cash transfers every two months, ranging from GH¢320 to GH¢530, depending on the number of dependants.

She added that the LEAP Secretariat would provide complementary support, including financial literacy training, micro-savings initiatives and community livelihood programmes, to strengthen the economic resilience of beneficiaries.

Dr Lartey said the reassessment and onboarding exercise were intended to improve targeting, eliminate errors and make the system more responsive to the needs of vulnerable groups.

She described the ongoing “Big LEAP” exercise as a demonstration of the government’s commitment to building an inclusive society where all citizens could live in dignity, regardless of their socio-economic status or location.

The minister reaffirmed her commitment to strengthening oversight and accountability, and to ensuring that all eligible households were enroled and treated with dignity and respect.

The tour took her to Fuo in the Sagnarigu Municipality, Savelugu; Gbullum in the Kumbungu District and Gambaga in the North East Region, where she interacted with beneficiaries and stakeholders.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Sagnarigu, Mr Abdulai Imoro Gong, said the visit underscored the government’s commitment to transparency and improved service delivery.

He indicated that the reassessment had significantly increased LEAP coverage in the municipality.

Mr Gong said while the municipality previously had 1,476 beneficiary households across 25 communities, the latest exercise had identified 6,018 potential beneficiaries in 64 communities for enrolment.

He noted that the increase reflected the growing demand for social protection and the government’s resolve to ensure that no eligible household was left out.

He added that the LEAP programme had become a critical source of support, helping beneficiaries meet basic needs, access healthcare and support the education and wellbeing of their children.