00:00The Ministry of the People, Social Development and Family Services says revised standard means test forms will soon be used
00:08in the assessment process for social assistance programs across the country.
00:13The updated forms will apply to services including public assistance grants, food support and other welfare programs administered through the
00:22ministry.
00:22Speaking during Thursday's sitting of the House of Representatives, Minister Vandana Mohit said the existing framework no longer reflects the
00:31economic realities facing vulnerable citizens.
00:35However, while the framework itself remained important, the poverty line underpinning the system had not been substantively updated since 2016.
00:45That meant that for almost a decade, vulnerable families were being assessed using benchmarks established before dramatic increases in food
00:55prices, transportation costs, housing expenses, utilities and health care burdens and most importantly, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
01:06The review process was conducted by an inter-ministerial committee established by Cabinet and completed ahead of schedule.
01:14Among the major changes approved is a significant adjustment to the country's poverty indicators.
01:20The poverty line has moved from $1,439.02 to $2,044.23 per adult, equivalent per month, an increase
01:33of 42.1%.
01:35Another reform is the introduction of an internet connectivity deduction of up to $316 per household per month.
01:45In 2026, internet access is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity.
01:51Children require connectivity for education. Citizens require internet access for employment opportunities, health care information, government services, banking and communication.
02:02This reform acknowledges modern poverty in a digital age.
02:07The ministry developed an in-house standard means test digital calculator.
02:12An electronic tool specifically designed to compute the revised SMT with greater speed, precision and consistency.
02:20This simple yet transformative innovation significantly reduces the possibility of human error while eliminating much of the subjectivity that can
02:31inadvertently arise in manual calculations.
02:36The updated forms will officially take effect from June 1st.
02:40Our Rishi Tawari, Rupnerain, TV6 News.
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