The government has confirmed that Fiji’s $1,400 eligibility threshold, used to determine which households qualify for social assistance, is now outdated and under review as part of major reforms to the country’s Proxy Means Test (PMT).
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran said Fiji’s Social Assistance Protection System is designed to support individuals and families experiencing poverty, vulnerability, or hardship, using a “life-course approach” to ensure help is available “from pre-born to old age, including periods of shock.”
But she stressed that the income threshold used to assess who qualifies for assistance no longer matches current living conditions.
“The original $1,400 Fijian eligibility threshold set in 2012 to target the poorest 10 percent of households no longer reflects today’s realities,” she said.
“The need to update the PMT model has become increasingly urgent.”
She explained that the PMT currently in use is based on data from the 2008–2009 Household Income and Expenditure Survey, despite major shifts in Fiji’s economy, technology, asset ownership and expenditure patterns over the past 16 years.
The Minister also highlighted the importance of the Family Assistance Scheme, which she described as the country’s “safety net of last resort.”
“Currently, 108,000 beneficiaries are benefiting from the two different programmes under the Ministry,” she said.
She said the government’s broader social protection reforms—including updating the PMT and strengthening administrative systems—are designed to ensure programmes remain fair and effective.
“Our goal is to ensure these programmes stay targeted, equitable and responsive to evolving household needs, and that they continue to reduce poverty and strengthen resilience for all Fijians,” she said.
