Title: Iran Implements Refined Subsidy System, Delivers November Payments on Schedule
Introduction
In a significant step to enhance the precision of its national social welfare program, Iran has commenced the distribution of the November 2025 cash subsidies to eligible households. This routine payment cycle coincides with the ongoing implementation of a sophisticated new targeting mechanism, designed to ensure that government support reaches its intended beneficiaries by systematically identifying and excluding high-income families.
A New Era of Precision in Welfare
The most notable development in the subsidy system is the full-scale activation of a new, multi-faceted index for assessing household economic status. Moving beyond simple income declarations, this index incorporates a complex array of data points to paint a more accurate picture of a family’s true financial standing.
Official notifications sent to households removed from the subsidy list cite this new criterion, stating: “Based on a parliamentary mandate and an analysis of your banking, income, and asset indicators, your estimated monthly per capita income, after deducting housing rental costs, exceeds the stipulated threshold. Consequently, your household is no longer eligible for subsidies.” This marks the official operational phase of a policy long in development, leveraging verified banking transactions and asset data to calculate real income.
Key Feature: Adjusted Per Capita Income
The core of the new index is a formula focused on a household’s actual purchasing power. A critical component is the deduction of housing rental costs, a measure that acknowledges the higher cost of living in major urban centers. While a specific figure was mentioned in communications, this threshold is understood to be variable, adjusted for different regions based on their respective living cost coefficients.
November 2025 Payment Schedule
The Subsidy Targeting Organization has announced the disbursement schedule for November, adhering to the provisions of the national budget law.
- Low-Income Households (Deciles 1-3): Payments are scheduled for November 16, 2025. These deciles receive the highest subsidy amount per individual.
- Middle to Lower-Middle Income Households (Deciles 4-9): Payments are set for November 21, 2025, and will be available for withdrawal from midnight of that day.
In a separate schedule, monthly stipends for beneficiaries of the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation and the State Welfare Organization will be deposited earlier, on November 11, 2025.
Subsidy Amounts and Continued List Refinement
The per-person subsidy amounts for November 2025 remain unchanged from previous cycles:
- Deciles 1 to 3: 400,000 Tomans per person
- Deciles 4 to 9: 300,000 Tomans per person
Concurrently, the government is continuing its rigorous effort to refine the recipient list. Since the beginning of the current Iranian year, subsidies for approximately 9 million individuals from the eighth and ninth income deciles have been suspended after they were identified as high-income households through the new indicators. Officials have confirmed this process will continue, with further exclusions possible based on factors such as multiple active bank accounts, high-volume financial transactions, or stock market holdings that exceed the average for their designated income group.
The Multi-Factor Assessment Framework
The decile classification is a comprehensive process managed by the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare. It evaluates households based on a wide range of factors to determine economic status accurately. Key considerations include:
- Health and Demographics: The presence of a member with a specific illness or disability, as well as the number of dependents.
- Assets: Ownership of multiple residential properties, high-value real estate, or luxury vehicles.
- Employment and Income: Employment history, social security records, and registered business activities.
This refined system underscores the government’s commitment to a equitable and efficient distribution of national resources, ensuring sustained support for its citizens.