Nearly 1.4 million families fail to qualify for Aswesuma in first updated list

Newswire reports that the Welfare Benefits Board released the first revised beneficiary list for Sri Lanka’s Aswesuma welfare programme. Among 2,383,630 families whose information updates were complete by October 27, 2026, 991,800 qualified for support and 1,391,830 did not.

Newswire reports that 363,142 qualifying households are in the extremely poor group, with a monthly allowance of Rs. 17,500, while 628,658 in the poor group are eligible for Rs. 10,000 per month. The Board has made the list available at Divisional Secretariat and Grama Niladhari offices as well as on its website.

Newswire reports that applications to contest the outcome and objections from members of the public may be lodged between October 29 and November 11, 2026. Submissions can be made through the Board’s online service or on forms obtainable from its website and the relevant Divisional Secretariat offices; public objections may be anonymous.

Newswire reports that payments to newly eligible families on this list are due to be deposited into their Aswesuma bank accounts on November 27, and letters supporting the opening of accounts are to be distributed starting November 12. The Board anticipates issuing another revised list in December, using details for an additional 740,127 families.