Title: Government Outlines October Subsidy Schedule, Focusing on Direct Cash Transfers
Tehran – The Iranian government’s subsidy program for the Persian month of Mehr (September 23 – October 22) will focus exclusively on direct cash payments to eligible households, according to the latest official announcements. This marks a shift from the previous month’s combined approach of cash and electronic food subsidies.
A Pause in the Food Basket Program
Authorities have confirmed that a new phase of the “Electronic Coupon” or food subsidy scheme will not be launched in Mehr. This program, which provides dedicated credit for the purchase of essential goods, recently concluded its fourth phase for the first to seventh income deciles.
Marjan Dabiri, the spokesperson for the Electronic Coupon plan, clarified that household heads from these seven deciles have until the end of the Iranian month of Aban (November 21) to utilize their existing credit from the fourth phase. This credit can be used to purchase 12 essential items, including rice, oil, red meat and poultry, dairy products, pasta, legumes, eggs, sugar, and most recently, turkey meat.
October’s Direct Cash Allocation Schedule
The focus for this month is squarely on the direct cash subsidy. The payment schedule has been clearly outlined:
- First to Third Income Deciles: A cash subsidy of 400,000 Tomans per individual will be deposited into household accounts on October 16.
- Fourth to Ninth Income Deciles: These households will receive 300,000 Tomans per individual, with the payment scheduled for October 21.
A Consolidated Support Mechanism
This approach means that, unlike in the previous month of Shahrivar, where lower-income families received a combined sum of nearly 900,000 Tomans from both cash and food subsidy programs, the disbursement for Mehr will consist solely of the fixed cash transfer. The government’s social support apparatus continues to operate through these calibrated mechanisms, aiming to provide stability for millions of citizens.
