Thousands of Saint Lucians in the informal sector lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many informal workers slipped through the cracks and did not benefit from previous income support programmes.
In 2023, the government secured $14.5 million from the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) to support various safety net programmes targetting vulnerable populations. A new Income Support Programme was set up to provide direct financial support to informal sector workers excluded from previous income support programmes. By the end of August 2024, over 4,500 people each collected a one-time cash payment of $1,500 from the government’s Income Support Programme.
Prime Minister Hon. Philip J. Pierre heads a government committed to helping people and supporting our most vulnerable.