Cabinet approves backdated allowance for vulnerable children

The Cabinet has approved a proposal to backdate a monthly living allowance of 5,000 rupees for children in institutional care and street children.

The official statement from Cabinet Decisions taken at the Cabinet Meeting held on September 22 follows:

The programme to provide a cost of living allowance for children under institutional protection or guardianship and the street children Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 16.06.2025 to implement a programme to provide a cost of living allowance of Rs. 5,000/- for children under institutional protection or guardianship and the street children.

Accordingly, providing benefits of the said programme named as ‘Artha’ has been inaugurated from the month of July 2025.

It has been observed that benefits of this programme can be provided with effect from the month of January 2025 so that the allocation of rupees 1000 million for the year 2025 for ‘Artha’ programme can be fully utilized for the betterment of children.

Therefore, the proposal submitted by the Minister of Women and Child Affairs was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers to consider starting day of benefits granting of ‘Artha’ programme to be 01.01.2025 and to deposit the arrears benefits entitled from that day to the accounts of children.