The government has decided to increase the number of beneficiaries and allowance rates under several social safety net programmes for the upcoming 2026-27 fiscal year.
The decisions were taken at the 32nd meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on Social Safety Net Programmes, held at the Finance Division office today (25 January), with Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair, reads a press release issued by the finance ministry.
At the meeting, beneficiary numbers and allowance rates for a total of 15 social safety net programmes under the committee’s jurisdiction were finalised for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Under the Ministry of Social Welfare, the number of beneficiaries of the Old Age Allowance programme has been increased by 1 lakh to 62 lakh. Of them, 59.95 lakh elderly persons will receive a monthly allowance of Tk700 instead of Tk650, while 205,000 elderly persons aged over 90 will receive Tk1,000 per month.
Under the same ministry, among 29 lakh widows and women deserted by their husbands, 28.75 lakh will receive a monthly allowance of Tk700 instead of Tk650, while 25,000 beneficiaries aged over 90 will receive Tk1,000 per month.
For the disability allowance and education stipend programmes, 36 lakh persons with disabilities will be covered. Of them, 35,81,900 will receive Tk900 per month and 18,100 will receive Tk1,000 per month as disability allowance. In the current 2025-26 fiscal year, 34.5 lakh persons with disabilities are receiving the allowance.
Meanwhile, the monthly stipend rates for students with disabilities have also been increased by Tk50, setting the rates at Tk950, Tk1,000, Tk1,100 and Tk1,350 for primary, secondary, higher secondary and higher levels respectively.
Under the programme for improving the living standards of marginalised communities, the number of beneficiaries has been increased by 7,000 to 2,28,389, and the monthly allowance rate has been raised from Tk650 to Tk700.
The number of students from marginalised communities receiving stipends or merit stipends has also been increased by 3,198 to 45,338. Monthly stipend rates have been fixed at Tk700, Tk800, Tk1,000 and Tk1,200 for primary, secondary, higher secondary and higher levels respectively. In addition, 5,490 persons from marginalised communities will receive skills development training under the programme.
The number of beneficiaries receiving financial assistance for patients suffering from cancer, kidney disease, liver cirrhosis, paralysis due to stroke, congenital heart disease and thalassaemia has been increased by 5,000 to 65,000. The one-time medical assistance amount has also been doubled from Tk50,000 to Tk100,000.
Under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, the number of beneficiaries of the Mother and Child Assistance Programme has been increased by 1,24,000 to 18,95,200. Under this programme, each mother receives a monthly allowance of Tk850.
Under the Food Ministry’s Food-Friendly Programme, the number of beneficiary families has been increased by 5 lakh to 60 lakh. Each family receives 30kg of rice per month at Tk15 per kg for six months a year under the programme.
At the meeting, the monthly allowance for gallantry award-recipient freedom fighters and the families of martyred freedom fighters under the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs was increased by Tk5,000.
The meeting also recommended bringing the monthly honorarium for families of those martyred and injured in the July Uprising under the same ministry, as well as the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, under the purview of the Advisory Council Committee on Social Safety Net Programmes.
It was further recommended that in the 2026-27 fiscal year, 273,514 new fishermen be included, bringing a total of 15 lakh fishermen under the VGF programme.
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