rishard.khan@guardian.co.tt
A call has been made for the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to increase the disability grant from $2,000 to at least $2,500 monthly.
It came from the PRO of the T&T chapter of the Disabled Persons International (TT/DPI), Kerwin Thomas during Labour Day celebrations on the island on Sunday.
The THA will present its 2022-2023 fiscal package on Thursday.
According to Thomas, roughly four per cent of T&T’s population is disabled (52,000 people).
“Because of the rising cost of food, transportation, cost of living it is very very hard for a person who is differently abled to live on $2,000,” he said.
He hopes this call would not only influence the THA to make the chance but believes if they accede, it could also push the central Government to follow suit.
“We hope that if Mr Watson Duke and Mr Farley comes about and bring this change for people who are differently abled, for the disadvantaged, the downtrodden, for the people who have never left their home in six years, some of them two years, some of them 17 years—this will set a precedent, and I hope it will set a precedent for the government of Trinidad and Tobago so that they will follow suit,” he said.
Thomas also called for the policy on allowing differently abled people to access food cards.
He said food cards stopped being issued as the programme to evaluate those who are desirous of getting one and to weed out those who were “double dipping.”
While he agreed that no one should be allowed to abuse the system, disabled people should be allowed to have one.
“When you go to the offices, they are telling them (the disabled person) because they receive a grant of $2,000 that they are not able to get a food card. That is nonsense because the food card is supposed to be a support and a buffer for persons who are differently abled so they can go and drop their card and get some food and whatever. The other $2,000 might just be $1,500 in rent or $800 in transportation costs. Some of them have to use it up in medical expenses,” he said.
“They need to revisit the policy as it relates to the food cards for the differently abled and the downtrodden so that they can be mandated in policy that everyone who is differently abled in Trinidad and Tobago are mandated to get a food card.”
