Promised Ramadan grant missing from state support pensions under Takaful and Karama

Beneficiaries of the state social support program Takaful and Karama received their monthly payments as scheduled on Saturday, but without the exceptional LE300 Ramadan grant announced in February by Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk, according to a beneficiary of the program who spoke to Mada Masr.

The stipends — distributed to over 4.7 million low-income families under the cash subsidy programs — are typically disbursed on the 15th day of each month.

A prominent official at the Social Solidarity Ministry, which oversees the program, told Mada Masr on condition of anonymity that the grant wasn’t included in the payments “because it is exceptional,” adding that it would be disbursed on Monday instead.

One beneficiary, a widow raising two children on a LE700 monthly payment from the program, told Mada Masr she was unaware of the grant until other recipients waiting at an ATM on Saturday told her to expect it.

She was disappointed when she found out the grant wasn’t included, as she had already planned to use it to buy her daughter a new pair of shoes, she said.

A social leader working with the Social Solidarity Ministry told Mada Masr on condition of anonymity that they received no updates on the grant’s disbursement. Social leaders are volunteers who receive modest compensation from the Social Solidarity Ministry for working to raise awareness among families about its programs.

"I would expect the ministry to inform me in advance because my job involves notifying beneficiaries about upcoming payments," the social leader said.

"Ensuring that Takaful and Karama recipients collect their entitlements on time is a priority, as delays in withdrawing funds from ATMs can result in the ministry reclaiming them."