Minister Denies Reports of Aswesuma Benefits Being Cut for 1.4 Million People
Colombo, October 30, 2026: Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment Upali Pannilage has rejected media reports claiming that Aswesuma welfare benefits provided to nearly 1.4 million people have been suspended.
The Minister clarified that approximately 1,206,000 people are currently receiving Aswesuma benefits and stated that the ongoing review process has not resulted in a reduction in the number of beneficiaries.
Speaking at an awareness programme for Samurdhi officers in Anuradhapura on October 29, the Minister explained that the revised list of beneficiaries selected under the first phase of the review has already been published.
First Phase Review Shows an Increase
According to the Minister, approximately 991,000 beneficiaries have been selected under the first phase of the review. Of these, around 989,000 people are currently receiving benefits, indicating an increase of approximately 2,000 beneficiaries under the revised list.
Second Phase Beneficiaries to Continue Receiving Benefits
Meanwhile, approximately 215,000 beneficiaries are currently covered under the second phase of the Aswesuma programme. The review of this phase is scheduled to be conducted next year.
The Minister assured that the existing beneficiaries under the second phase would continue receiving their benefits without any changes until the review process is completed.
Further 740,000 Beneficiaries Yet to Be Reviewed
The Minister also revealed that approximately 740,000 additional beneficiaries under the first phase are yet to undergo the review process.
He stated that the overall number of Aswesuma beneficiaries could increase rather than decrease once the review process is completed.
The Minister urged the public not to be misled by reports claiming that Aswesuma welfare benefits for 1.4 million people had been suspended.
These remarks were made during an awareness programme on the Department of Samurdhi Development's national initiative, "New Strength for Community Empowerment", attended by Samurdhi officers from Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu districts.
