Title: October Subsidy Schedule Confirmed: Direct Cash Transfers Set for Iranian Households
Tehran – The schedule and exact amounts for the October cash subsidy transfers have been officially announced, with payments designated exclusively for the heads of eligible households.
Stable Support System
For the month of October, the government’s direct cash subsidy program will proceed as a standalone initiative. Officials have confirmed that there will be no new phase of the complementary Electronic Voucher Scheme rolled out concurrently with this payment. This clarifies the support mechanism for citizens, focusing on direct financial aid.
Payment Schedule and Tiers
The subsidies will be distributed in two tranches, based on household income deciles:
- Lower-Income Households (Deciles 1-3): A payment of 400,000 Tomans will be deposited into household accounts on October 25.
- Other Eligible Households (Deciles 4-9): A payment of 300,000 Tomans is scheduled for deposit on October 30.
Utilizing Existing Voucher Credits
According to Marjan Dabiri, spokesperson for the Electronic Voucher Scheme, households in deciles one through seven still have the opportunity to utilize the credit from the scheme’s fourth phase. She stated that these families have until the end of the Iranian month of Aban (November 21, 2024) to purchase 12 essential goods.
The fourth phase of the voucher program was previously executed in two parts, with deciles 1-3 receiving 500,000 Tomans in credit on September 10, and deciles 4-7 receiving 350,000 Tomans on September 20. This credit can be used for a range of staple foods, including rice, oil, red meat, poultry, dairy products, pasta, legumes, eggs, and sugar. In a recent update, turkey meat was also added to the list of eligible items.
This month’s arrangement means that, unlike in September where lower-income families received a combined value of nearly 900,000 Tomans from both the cash subsidy and the voucher scheme, the October support will consist solely of the direct cash transfer.
