Two months after the Government began distributing its one-off, tax-free $300 Solidarity Allowance, thousands of Barbadians are still waiting to receive their payment.
This update comes from Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance and Social Security Services (NISSS), Kim Tudor, who confirmed that despite nearly 183 200 people already being paid, registration remains open and payments are still being issued.
“Payments are being made in batches as individuals complete their registration,” Tudor said in an interview with the Sunday Sun last week. “We are currently processing several additional batches and those individuals can expect to receive their payments within the next two weeks. If you have already registered, there is no need to register again – your payment will be issued shortly.”
The Solidarity Allowance was announced on March 10 during the 2025 Financial Statement and Budgetary Proposals
by Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Ryan Straughn. The measure was aimed at providing short-term relief for eligible Barbadians amid ongoing economic pressures.
The allowance – a single, tax-free payment of $300 – is available to Barbadians over the age of 18 who have legal status and made National Insurance contributions within the past year. When the programme
launched in May, it triggered long lines across post offices and NISSS offices as thousands rushed to register.
At that time, Tudor reported that close to $40 million had already been disbursed to approximately 133 000 individuals, including pensioners, welfare recipients, and some Government workers.
As of last week, that number has climbed to 183 187 recipients, with $54 956 100 paid out so far.
Tudor noted that since May, over 42 000 more people have registered, leading to ongoing processing and additional payment rounds.
While the original intent was to wrap up payments by the end of June, the overwhelming response has led to an extended timeline by Straughn to Thursday, July 31.
(AJ)
