The Cayman Islands government has either spent or budgeted to spend some $30 million on basic social services between July 2010 and June 2013.
The figure does not include any spending on public sector medical care for indigents or the elderly.
Information provided to the Caymanian Compass under the Freedom of Information Law was concentrated on six general areas of assistance: poor relief payments, electricity and water bill assistance, pre-school assistance, rental payment assistance, food vouchers and school lunches.
On average, the Cayman Islands has spent or budgeted to spend just more than $10 million in each of the three budget years identified. In the current 2012/13 year some $10.5 million is due to be spent, almost exactly the same as the $10.4 million spent in the 2010/11 budget year.
The lion’s share of that funding goes to poor relief payments for each year identified. More than $6 million was set aside for that type of assistance in this year alone. According to government records, more than 900 people have received poor relief within July and August; the first two months of the 2012/13 budget year.
In each of the last three years, including the first two months of the current year, more West Bay residents have received poor relief than families in any other district.
According to records obtained under the FOI law, some 316 residents in West Bay district have received poor relief assistance in the current budget year compared to 282 in George Town and 134 in Bodden Town.
That tracks with the two earlier budget years where West Bay residents were the most numerous recipients of poor relief, followed by George Town and then Bodden Town.
The number of households receiving government help with paying water and electricity bills also went up sharply between 2010/11 and the 2011/12 budgets. The number of people assisted under those payment assistance programmes went from 473 families in 2010/11 to 653 in the 2011/12 budget year.
In the first two months of the current government budget year, some 197 people in all the districts received help with electric and water bill payments, but government had budgeted far more in that area than it did in the two previous years.
The budget for school lunch payment assistance fell from about $585,000 in the 2011/12 budget to $476,000 in the current fiscal year. In that category of assistance, George Town families received assistance more often, with some 221 households getting government help last year compared to 131 in West Bay and 113 in Bodden Town.
The budget for food vouchers also went from nearly $1.1 million last year to nearly $1.8 million in the current government budget.
A massive 1,450 households received food vouchers during the 2011/12 budget, more than a third of them (557) in George Town. In the first two months of the current budget year, more than 700 families had already received food voucher assistance.
Rental assistance costs also went up from nearly $1.2 million to $1.5 million from last year’s budget to the current budget.
Medical assistance
Costs for the provision of public health services were not outlined in the open records request, but some expenditures are available from a review of government’s 2012/13 budget.
Health care coverage is one of the largest subsidised areas of expenditure within the government’s budget.
For example, the Cayman Islands government has budgeted $9.1 million for medical care to seamen and veterans; $12.6 million in medical care for indigents and $18.1 million in health insurance for civil service pensioners during the 2012/13 year. All of those figures represent substantial increases from what government spent in the previous budget.
A figure of $9.4 million was set aside for medical care at overseas providers. However, previous unaudited budget figures show the country actually spent $18.6 million on that during the last budget – more than double what was set aside in the 2012/13 year.
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One of the major problem is that the Intake officers of the Children and family services is not visiting the homes of these persons whom are getting assistance. Judgements calls are made right from their office desk, and that is not fair trade.
75% of the list is foreign nationals who when given food vouchers, buy items to send home to their families abroad. Caymanians purchase to survive here, they do not have any children abroad to send these things to. The Social service department need to treat Caymanians different from those persons who are getting assistance to send it away, and also the department is paying rent for these people who inturn is renting a room to their friends in the same place the department is paying for. It is very sad that we have senior citizens who built Cayman, born Caymanians who are dealt with as second class citizens to be assisted. Staff investigation is needed.
Maybe someone can educate me, but why is a FOREIGNER on social services??? If they are here they MUST be on a work permit, right? IF they are here on someone elses’ work permit, that person must have shown to Immigration that they make enough money to support their dependents..If they are are on a work permit and they are not making enough money to cover their expenses, then surely Social Services must analyze the situation and determine if that person is being paid enough to survive on or is living outside of there means..Please SOMEONE help me understand this enigma..
You can’t get assitance here, if you are a foreign national.
No foreign nationals are allowed to stay without a work permit.
So I have no idea how you are coming to that conclusion.
I have had to resort to using social services, and grateful for all the help i have received with rent, utilities, and food vouchers. I have residency with the right to work, over 15 years nursing experience in the US, but the govt. hospital told me after and 4 month contract that they had no openings for me. And on my last day, a new expat started. I have been looking for a job for over 6 months with no luck. I have 4 small caymanian children, and at this point I have applied for their US passports, and have seriously considered moving by christmas. I dont like needing social service to keep the roof over my head,and my children fed. I would rather work. But i guess being married to caymanian, and not needing a work permit has its disadvantages in this country. I many times feel guilty walking into social services. But I feel this is how this government has been running for years and years, and will continue to do so. My children are caymanians, but will have to face a new country, new school, a new life, and calling their dad on the phone due to we are unable to finacially afford to live here without my salary. Without social service we would be homeless. Social service does their job well, but what one really needs to look into is hiring practices. Not all caymanians are lazy, not all quit after the first paycheck. I want to teach my children about a good work ethic and value of money, all they see is us walking into social services.
I have lived and worked in Cayman over the last 5 years and although I no longer live there I visit my Caymanian friends a couple times a year. These are things that I have noticed while living and visiting Cayman.
There is a large population of young people who have no education generally past 10th grade. For any of a number of reasons they have been kicked out of school and never returned. Those young people are not employable due to the lack of education. If they get involved in crime and then are caught up in the judicial system that increases two things teenage parentage and supporting themselves via unlawful activities. Two things could change this; repeat offenders be given an opportunity to leave the country to receive some education with a friend or relative off island or spend their prison time finishing their education and getting some training as electricians, plumbers or other professions that will allow them to support themselves. Continuing to send your young people back to prison changes nothing and costs the government. Additionally, people who do not work for the government or one of the hospitals make such low wages they barely live above the poverty level. The Caymanian people are strong and proud people dependent on tourism which is not guaranteed. With a young generation better trained to contribute to the community fewer ex-pats would be required to sustain the infrastructure and manage the ongoing construction on island. Every country is only as strong as it’s next generation we need to acknowledge that and provide them with education, nobody I know in Cayman wants a hand out they want a decent job for a decent pay check.
Though the 30 million number is alarming, equally comforting is the exactness of the count of the number of families receiving assistance. That tells me that every case is reviewed and every case is a legitimate need. It appears that officials know where every penny is going. That is most impressive.
It is only fair that able bodied persons who get social-services be willing to do social work. Social services could have a list of required work where they slot individuals.. I believe persons seeking assistance would be happy to work for their pay. One hand washes the other.
I agree that the homes should be visited to assess whether families should truly qualify for the aid. Also, I think how the money is actually spent should be regulated. I find it really amazing how people on government aid for food and utility bills still manage to have money for beer and cigarettes!