Deadline Approaching: Five-Day Window for Appeals on September Subsidy Eligibility
In a significant move to refine its social support system, Iran has begun the operational phase of discontinuing direct cash subsidies for its top three income deciles. Households identified as ineligible now have a critical five-day window to file an appeal.
Policy Implementation Underway
The decision, mandated by the national budget law, is now being executed. Ahmad Rostami, Head of the Iranian Welfare Studies and Information Center, clarified the procedure. “The Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare was tasked with halting the subsidies for approximately one million households starting in Mordad (July-August),” he stated. The initial phase targeted families with a calculated monthly income—adjusted for housing costs and family size—exceeding 10 million tomans.
Consequently, the cash subsidy for the month of Mordad was not deposited for roughly 3.066 million individuals identified as belonging to these higher income brackets. Official communication on the state’s ‘Hemayat’ (Support) portal informs affected citizens that their ineligibility was determined “based on a parliamentary mandate and an assessment of banking, income, and asset indicators.”
Appeal Process and Expert Commentary
Household heads have until the end of Shahrivar 20 (September 10, 2024) to review their status and submit a formal appeal via the dedicated portal at hemayat.sfara.ir. With the current date being Shahrivar 15, a strict five-day deadline remains for this process.
Hassan Norouzi, Head of the Subsidy Targeting Organization, confirmed the broader timeline, noting that collaboration with the Ministry of Welfare will see the top three deciles—approximately 18 million citizens—fully phased out from the recipient list by the end of the current Iranian year (March 2025).
This policy shift has sparked discussion among economic experts. Some have pointed out that using a 10-million-toman income threshold may not fully align with current living expenses, potentially encompassing segments of the urban middle class. They suggest that the rising cost of living, particularly for salaried employees and urban workers, underscores the need for continuous evaluation of the economic indicators used in such assessments.