According to Labour Minister Pearnel Charles, the ministry has not yet met the required quota of 360,000 people.

"We were supposed to reach that number (360,000) by the end of October, but we had to extend the date to satisfy the requirement," Charles told The Gleaner.

In his contribution to the Budget Debate in 2008, Prime Minister Bruce Golding said the Government intended to increase the scope of the programme to include everyone who lived below the established poverty line.

At the time, statistics from the Planning Institute of Jamaica identified approximately 360,000 Jamaicans who lived below the poverty line, of which only 245,000 were benefiting from PATH.

PATH is a programme funded by the Government of Jamaica and the World Bank. It aims to deliver benefits by way of cash grants to the most needy and vulnerable in the society.

However, Charles noted that not every vulnerable person is an ideal candidate for the programme.

"A strong man who is over the required age cannot qualify as a beneficiary of programme," he said.

Instead, the ministry has a programme in place - Step to Work - to assist destitute persons who are not eligible for PATH benefits. Through the Step to Work programme, people can get assistance in returning to school or starting small businesses.