Ghana expands LEAP to 450,000 households and raises cash grants

The government is expanding Ghana’s Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty programme to cover up to 450,000 households and introducing higher cash grants for beneficiaries.

The programme’s household ceiling has increased from 350,000 to 450,000, potentially extending financial support to 100,000 additional households.

Under the new payment structure, eligible households will receive between GH¢380 and GH¢630 per payment cycle, depending on their size and whether they include a vulnerable member.

Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey said the expansion followed a comprehensive reassessment of existing beneficiaries using information from the Ghana National Household Registry.

According to the minister, the exercise identified households that remain eligible for support and those that have moved out of extreme poverty.

The supplied information does not state how many households were removed from the programme or how many new beneficiaries have already been enrolled following the reassessment.

New LEAP grant rates

Households with one or two members will receive GH¢392 per cycle if they include a vulnerable member and GH¢380 if they do not.

Those with three or four members will receive GH¢474 with a vulnerable member or GH¢452 without one.

Households containing five or more members will receive the highest payments: GH¢630 if they include a vulnerable member and GH¢594 if they do not.

The source material does not define which beneficiaries qualify as vulnerable members under the new structure.

Dr Lartey said the average LEAP grant had increased significantly since 2024. However, no comparative figures were provided to show the previous payment rates.

She said the programme was now operating under an indexation mechanism intended to protect the value of the grants against inflation.

Indexing the grants means payments can be adjusted in response to changes in prices, helping to limit the loss of purchasing power experienced by poorer households when the cost of living rises.

Two payment cycles begin

The first and second LEAP payment cycles for 2026 began on Monday, September 14, with both cycles being paid together.

Based on the announced rate for each cycle, eligible households would receive combined payments ranging from GH¢760 to GH¢1,260, depending on household size and vulnerability status.

The ministry did not indicate in the supplied information when the combined payments would be completed or how frequently future grant rates would be reviewed under the indexation mechanism.

Beneficiaries seeking help with enrolment or complaints have been asked to contact the LEAP Management Secretariat on 0303 969 399.

They can also call the toll-free numbers 0800 800 800 and 0800 900 900 for assistance.