📊 Sri Lanka Welfare Board Updates Aswesuma Registry, Removes Over 331K Ineligible Beneficiaries

Sri Lanka’s Welfare Benefits Board (WBB) has published its updated Aswesuma welfare list following a comprehensive re-certification process to ensure targeted financial support for vulnerable populations. Key Reforms & Beneficiary Breakdown: • Registry Cleanup: Removed 331,653 unqualified recipients from the registry while adding 153,511 newly eligible individuals. • Approved Beneficiaries: 991,800 individuals qualified for cash transfers under primary support groups: • Poor Category: 628,658 individuals • Extremely Poor Category: 363,142 individuals • Rejections: 1,391,830 applicants were deemed unqualified out of 2,383,630 reviewed cases (from 3.12M+ total self-declarations). • Phased Exclusions: Cash transfers for Transitional beneficiaries ended in April 2025, while the Vulnerable category was phased out in June 2026. Next Steps & Timeline: • Appeals & Objections: Updated lists will be displayed at Grama Niladhari and Divisional Secretariat offices with a strict 10-day window for public appeals. • Disbursements: Payments under the revised list are set to begin on November 27, 2026, with a second updated list expected soon.