Frequently Asked Questions

LEAP (Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty) is a Cash Transfer Programme (CTP) designed in 2007 and implemented from 2008. It is Ghana's flagship social protection programme under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

LEAP provides bi-monthly cash grants to extremely poor and vulnerable households, along with free National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) coverage. Its broad objective is to reduce poverty through consumption smoothing and human capital development.

LEAP was designed in 2007 and made its first cash disbursement in March 2008, initially covering 1,654 households across 21 pilot districts. It has since expanded to cover all 216 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana.

LEAP currently covers over 1.4 million individuals out of approximately 2.4 million people living in extreme poverty in Ghana (representing about 8.2% of the population). 56% of beneficiaries are female and 44% are male.

LEAP is managed by the LEAP Management Secretariat (LMS), established as a separate entity by Cabinet approval in 2015. The LMS operates under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and is structured into six units: Operations, MIS, Case Management, Monitoring & Evaluation, Finance, and Payments.

LEAP targets extremely poor households that fall into one or more of these categories:

• Aged 65 years and above without household support
• Severely disabled persons without productive capacity
• Households caring for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC)
• Extremely poor households with pregnant women or nursing mothers (0–18 months)

Selection uses a combination of:

• Ghana Statistical Service poverty mapping to identify the poorest communities
• Community identification by Community Focal Persons
• Proxy-Means Test (PMT) administered electronically on tablets
• LEAP MIS data processing to calculate household scores
• A PMT formula threshold that determines final qualification

Evidence shows the opposite. LEAP evaluations found that:

• 63% of beneficiaries invested grants in economic activities
• 62% purchased agricultural fertilizers to improve productivity
• 65% reported improved food security
• 12% increase in school enrollment among children

The co-responsibility conditions also actively encourage households to invest in health and education — building capacity for long-term self-reliance.

Current payment rates (since September 2015) per bi-monthly cycle:

• 1 household member: GH₵64
• 2 household members: GH₵76
• 3 household members: GH₵88
• 4 or more household members: GH₵106

The 100th cycle (February 2026) totalled GH₵320–530 per household over the cycle period.

Payments are made via the e-zwich platform using biometric fingerprint verification through GhIPSS (Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems). This ensures secure, direct payments to beneficiaries. Electronic payments began in Q3 2013 through AYA Technologies and MTN Mobile Money.

LEAP grants are disbursed every two months (bi-monthly). Beneficiaries receive regular payments as long as they remain eligible and fulfil their co-responsibilities.

Grievances follow a tiered process:

• Step 1: Contact your Community Focal Person (CFP) — they are your first point of contact
• Step 2: If unresolved, escalate to the District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO)
• Step 3: Further unresolved issues can be escalated to the LMS Head Office

You can also call the toll-free helplines: 0800 800 800 or 0800 900 900

A Community Focal Person (CFP) is a designated community representative who serves as the link between LEAP beneficiaries and the district-level structures. CFPs help with identification of eligible households, monitoring of co-responsibilities, and resolution of community-level grievances.

LEAP operates two toll-free helplines available to all beneficiaries:

• 0800 800 800
• 0800 900 900

You can also reach the head office at: +233 303 969 399 / 303 969 700 or email info@leap.gov.gh

In exchange for LEAP grants, beneficiary households must:

• Enroll all school-age children in public basic schools
• Register all household members with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)
• Register all newborns (0–18 months) and complete scheduled immunizations
• Prevent child trafficking and child labour
• Regularly renew NHIS cards
• Cooperate with Community Focal Persons and Case Management Officers

Failure to meet co-responsibilities can result in suspension or termination of LEAP grants. Case Management Officers conduct regular household visits to monitor compliance. If difficulties arise, beneficiaries are encouraged to engage their Community Focal Person for support rather than risk losing their benefits.

Yes. Benefits can be suspended or terminated if a household:

• No longer meets the eligibility criteria (e.g., improved economic situation)
• Consistently fails to meet co-responsibilities
• Provides false information during the registration process
• Is found to engage in child trafficking or exploitative child labour