KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11  --  The Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) cash aid scheme will be expanded to cover 1.1 million single individuals aged above 40 years old who are earning less than RM2,000 per month from next year. 

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, when tabling Budget 2020 at the Dewan Rakyat today said in addition, all disabled persons aged 18 years old and above, with an income less than RM2,000 per month will also be covered. 

They will be entitled to receive BSH payment of RM300, and qualify automatically as a recipient of the free MySalam Takaful scheme,” he said. 

The government will allocate RM5 billion for the scheme next year, he added. 

In 2019, the BSH scheme has benefited 3.9 million households, Lim said. 

Lim said the allocation for total subsidies and social assistance will be increased from RM22.3 billion in 2019 to RM24.2 billion in 2020.

These include welfare assistance such as the BSH and subsidy payments such as agriculture related, fuel and interest subsidies.

-- BERNAMA