More than 226,000 households have graduated from extreme poverty following a comprehensive reassessment of beneficiaries under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, said the reassessment covered about 350,000 beneficiary households and was conducted using data from the National Household Registry.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Wednesday, Mrs Lartey said the exercise had helped the government identify households whose socio-economic conditions had improved significantly.

“We completed a comprehensive reassessment of 350,000 beneficiary households. Using data from the National Household Registry, which has allowed over 226,000 households to graduate out of extreme poverty,” she said.

She explained that the development had also necessitated an expansion of the LEAP programme's approved beneficiary ceiling from 350,000 to 450,000 households.

“The programme ceiling has expanded from 350,000 to 450,000 households. New grant rates take effect this month,” she stated.

Following the national reassessment, approximately 450,000 eligible households have either been retained or newly enrolled within the approved programme ceiling.

The Ministry began disbursing the first and second payment cycles for 2026 on Monday, September 14, 2026.

The two payment cycles are being paid together, meaning each eligible household will receive twice its applicable bi-monthly grant amount during the current disbursement.

New LEAP payment rates

Under the new rates, households with one to two eligible members and a vulnerable member will receive GH¢392 per bi-monthly cycle, while households in the same category without a vulnerable member will receive GH¢380.

For households with three to four eligible members, those with a vulnerable member will receive GH¢474, while those without a vulnerable member will receive GH¢452.

Households with five or more eligible members and a vulnerable member will receive GH¢630, while those without a vulnerable member will receive GH¢594 per bi-monthly cycle.

Since the first and second cycles are being paid together, beneficiaries will receive twice the applicable amount for the current payment.

The Minister appealed to the media to help educate the public about the new arrangements and ensure that beneficiaries have accurate information about the payments.

“I kindly request the media to help communicate these arrangements, manage the expectations, and refer any enrolment or grievance case to the LEAP Management Secretariat,” she said.

She urged beneficiaries and members of the public with concerns regarding enrolment, eligibility or payments to contact the LEAP Management Secretariat for assistance.

The Secretariat can be reached on 0303 969 399, or through the toll-free lines 0800 800 800 and 0800 900 900.

The reassessment, according to the Ministry, is intended to ensure that LEAP resources are directed towards households that continue to meet the programme's eligibility requirements while making room for other vulnerable households requiring social protection support.