Spouses, children of dead persons can collect cash grants; over 500,000 cheques distributed

Attorney General Anil Nandlall announced Tuesday night that over 500,000 cash grants have been successfully distributed across the country, as he spoke during his “Issues in the News” commentary. He highlighted that spouses and children of deceased individuals are eligible to collect these funds, provided they present the necessary documentation.

“We have completed the distribution of over 500,000 checks, and indeed, cash grants. We’ve already issued about 100,000 checks, with more to be distributed,” Nandlall shared.

“Yes, there were some challenges along the way, but we have successfully completed this massive and unprecedented exercise.”

While acknowledging the difficulties encountered, Nandlall emphasised that the overall success of the programme far outweighed the problems faced. “For every one transaction that had some difficulty, 200 were conducted smoothly,” he said.

Nandlall also addressed criticisms from the opposition, stating that they failed to recognise the benefits of the initiative and instead focused on minor flaws. “They have failed abysmally, and the initiative has been an overwhelming success,” he remarked, expressing his confidence in the programme’s effectiveness.

One major point of discussion was the situation surrounding deceased individuals and the distribution of their cash grants. Nandlall explained that amendments were made to the Deceased Persons’ Estate Administration Act last November, allowing relatives of the deceased to collect the grants on behalf of the deceased.

“Under the amended law, any person, organisation, or entity holding money for a deceased individual can release the funds to a duly authorised relative, up to $750,000,” Nandlall explained. “To collect the funds, the individual must produce the death certificate and prove their relationship to the deceased.”

The Attorney General clarified that the surviving spouse or child of the deceased can claim the funds, with documentation such as a marriage certificate for spouses, or a birth certificate for children to confirm their relationship to the deceased. He also pointed out that common-law unions are recognised under the law, allowing those in such unions to present supporting evidence of their relationship.

Nandlall reassured those concerned about technical glitches or errors during the distribution process. “If there’s a problem with the check at the distribution point, it will be returned to the Ministry of Finance, and the individual will be given another opportunity to collect the cheque,” he stated.

Addressing misleading claims circulating on social media, Nandlall refuted a false statement suggesting that the checks were only valid for three days. “Checks are ordinarily valid for six months, and for government-issued cheques, they remain valid for as long as the Government of Guyana deems them so,” he clarified. “There’s no need to worry about the validity of the checks, as some individuals are deliberately spreading misinformation.”

The Attorney General concluded his address by emphasising the success of the programme and the continued commitment of the government to ensure the proper distribution of grants to all eligible individuals.