Sri Lanka removes 331,653 unqualified recipients from welfare list

EconomyNext reports that Sri Lanka’s Welfare Benefits Board (WBB) released its first revised Aswesuma list on Wednesday after a re-certification exercise. It lists 991,800 people as eligible for cash assistance: 628,658 in the Poor category and 363,142 in the Extremely Poor category.

EconomyNext reports that the review assessed 2,383,630 people drawn from over 3.12 million submitted self-declarations. It removed 331,653 recipients from the registry, added 153,511 newly eligible people and found 1,391,830 applicants ineligible. EconomyNext says the review followed public criticism in 2023 over assistance reaching people who did not qualify.

EconomyNext reports that WBB Additional Commissioner D.L.P. Rishan Dharmasena said the exercise was intended to direct assistance to the most eligible people. EconomyNext reports that cash payments are now confined to the Poor and Extremely Poor categories; Transitional support ceased in April 2025, while Vulnerable assistance ended in June 2026 after extensions associated with disaster conditions.

EconomyNext reports that the revised lists will be posted at Grama Niladhari and Divisional Secretariat offices, and that the public will have 10 days to submit appeals or objections to divisional committees. EconomyNext reports that WBB Chairman Nimal Kotawalagedara said the deadline cannot be extended because payments under the new list must begin within November. EconomyNext reports that payments are scheduled to start on November 27 and that the board plans to issue a second list soon.