Recipients of the stipend for displaced tourism workers are only just receiving their February payments, according to the Ministry of Border Control and Labour.
A spokesperson for the ministry confirmed the aim had been to issue this month’s payment on 17 Feb., following a review of information provided by a survey, completion of which is a requirement for receiving the monthly payment.
However, the spokesperson said various factors, including people providing incorrect bank details or changing bank details, were responsible for the delay.
It comes as it was announced last week that some 625 recipients who are now fully employed will receive a reduced payment of $1,000 this month and $750 next month.
Previously, the government had paid them $1,500 a month.
According to a statement from the ministry last week, 2,400 individuals will continue to receive the $1,500 monthly stipend. The stipend-payment scheme has been costing the government $5.5 million a month.
Responsibility for the stipend passed recently from the tourism ministry to its new home at the the labour ministry.
Payments have now been made and additional staff have been enlisted to assist the ministry, a press release confirmed.
“We are asking for people’s patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused during the payment process,” Labour Ministry Chief Officer Wesley Howell said in a statement Wednesday morning.
The ministry said, in the statement, due to the high volume of enquiries being received, more staff has been added “to assist with answering queries about the stipend payments and process updates to banking information”.
“As of Tuesday, 22 February all payments with correct banking details were submitted to Royal Bank for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to individual banks for recipients who elected to have the funds deposited directly to their accounts,” the statement read.
“Stipend recipients who did not complete the survey sent out in early February have not received a payment. These persons can still complete the survey and their stipend payments will be processed once the survey answers are reviewed,” the statement added.
Speaking on the issue of sorting out payments and recipients’ concerns, Howell said, “the team answering the queries have found that individual questions can be quite complex and take some time to clarify. We hope to have all issues resolved as soon as possible”.
The ministry said stipend recipients with incorrect banking details are being contacted individually for the correct information.
“I would like to thank the Ministry and Treasury team who worked over the weekend to process payments,” Howell added.
Last week Labour Minister and Deputy Premier Chris Saunders stated that during a review of the stipend programme abuses within the system were discovered, but he said no prosecutions were planned.
Meanwhile Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart urged government reconsider its position on the reduced stipend and “do the right thing for over 600 Caymanian families and assess their situation individually before making any reductions”.
Recipients seeking further information can call 649-6932 or email: [email protected].
For more from Wesley Howell, tune in to the 23 Feb. edition of the Cayman Compass weekly talkshow ‘The Resh Hour’.
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