Aswesuma Beneficiaries Drop by 50% in 2026 – Re-Survey to Determine Final Beneficiary List
Latest Update on Aswesuma Welfare Benefits, Re-Verification Process, Eligibility Categories and Monthly Allowances
Aswesuma Beneficiaries Reduced to 1,251,522
Labour Minister and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando informed Parliament that the number of beneficiaries receiving assistance under Sri Lanka's Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Scheme had declined to 1,251,522 by August 2026.
The number represents a significant reduction compared with the 2,439,917 beneficiaries recorded in 2025. The information was presented in Parliament in response to a question concerning the current status of the welfare programme.
Key Aswesuma Beneficiary Numbers
| Period | Beneficiaries |
|---|---|
| Programme Launch – 2023 | 1,773,445 |
| December 2024 | 1,761,116 |
| 2025 | 2,439,917 |
| August 2026 | 1,251,522 |
Why Has the Number of Aswesuma Beneficiaries Decreased?
According to the Deputy Minister, the reduction should not be interpreted simply as an arbitrary removal of beneficiaries. The Aswesuma programme was established with provisions for the continued reassessment of beneficiaries.
Applications received during both Phase I and Phase II of the Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Scheme are being re-verified to determine whether applicants continue to meet the required eligibility conditions.
The verification process assesses applicants using 22 socio-economic criteria. Around 90% of the re-verification process was reported to have been completed, with the process expected to be finalised by the end of September 2026.
Transitional and Vulnerable Categories Phased Out
Another major reason for the reduction is the scheduled ending of benefits for categories that were originally intended to receive temporary support.
✅ Transitional Category: Payments ended in December 2025.
✅ Vulnerable Category: Payments ended in June 2026.
✅ Extremely Poor Category: Benefits currently continue.
✅ Poor Category: Benefits currently continue.
The Government is therefore currently concentrating Aswesuma payments mainly on families verified under the extremely poor and poor categories while the reassessment process continues.
Current Aswesuma Monthly Allowances
The Aswesuma payment structure was revised under an Extraordinary Gazette issued on 15 December 2025.
| Category | Previous Allowance | Revised Allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Extremely Poor | Rs. 15,000 | Rs. 17,500 |
| Poor | Rs. 8,500 | Rs. 10,000 |
| Vulnerable | Rs. 5,000 | Category ended June 2026 |
| Transitional | Rs. 2,500 | Rs. 5,000 before category ended |
Aswesuma Re-Survey and Final Beneficiary List
The Government is conducting the re-survey to determine the final number of families eligible for Aswesuma welfare benefits. The current beneficiary population is approximately 1.2 million families.
According to the information presented in Parliament, the remaining poor and extremely poor categories are scheduled to continue until June 2027 under the existing framework, while the results of the reassessment will determine the final list of beneficiaries.
Newspaper Notice – Aswesuma Beneficiaries 2026
Aswesuma Name List 2026 – Phase II 2nd List
Check the latest Aswesuma Phase II beneficiary name list, second list information and related updates online.
Full DetailsAswesuma 2026 – Important Points
🔹 Beneficiaries in 2025: 2,439,917
🔹 Beneficiaries by August 2026: 1,251,522
🔹 Re-verification completion: around 90%
🔹 Eligibility assessment: 22 socio-economic criteria
🔹 Extremely Poor Allowance: Rs. 17,500
🔹 Poor Allowance: Rs. 10,000
🔹 Transitional category ended: December 2025
🔹 Vulnerable category ended: June 2026
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