Mensos: PKH and Sembako Triwulan III Social Assistance Payments to Start on July 20

Social Minister Saifullah Yusuf/ANTARA/Mecca Yumna

JAKARTA - Social Minister Saifullah Yusuf said that the Social Assistance (Bansos) PKH and BPNT or July-September 2026 Triwulan 3 groceries will begin to be distributed on July 20.

"The third quarter of the social assistance is being processed, yesterday we received the latest data from BPS, now we are cleansing, God willing, in two to three days this will be completed, and at least on the 20th it will start to be distributed," said the minister who is familiarly called Gus Ipul as reported by ANTARA, Monday, July 13.

Gus Ipul explained that from the latest data, there were existing Beneficiary Families (KPM) who still received social assistance, and KPM who no longer received social assistance. In addition, there are also new recipients, all of which depend on the data update process that has been carried out.

He said that the process of updating data was carried out starting at the RT/RW level, then passed on to the village or sub-district data operator, through a deliberation process and passed on to the local Social Service, before finally being determined by the Regent/Mayor and submitted to the Ministry of Social Affairs.

From the Ministry of Social Affairs, the data is forwarded to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), to be verified and validated, and every three months the data from the updated results that have been verified is returned to the Ministry of Social Affairs for the distribution of social assistance.

With the update, he said, it is hoped that the social assistance will be received by those who are entitled.

He also appreciated the local government that participated actively in the process, so that the data was more accurate and the social assistance was targeted. The three provinces that were most active in doing so were West Java, Central Java, and East Java, as well as Bekasi City.

"This means that the region has been so concerned about the updating process, because we must admit that the data we receive is data from the region, and the region is the one who knows the most about the objective conditions of its citizens," he said.

In addition, the distribution of social assistance will also be followed up with empowerment programs, in accordance with the change in the "Temporary Social Assistance, Self-Reliant Forever" paradigm.

"Now, after it is accepted by those who are entitled, it will be followed up with empowerment programs. This is a new thing from President Prabowo, so we are not only given social assistance, but we strengthen it with empowerment, so that these families can later be measured to rise in class," he said.

In 2026, said Gus Ipul, it is targeted that more than 150 thousand KPM will be encouraged to participate in the empowerment program.

"We hope that next year they will no longer receive social assistance, but develop businesses whose results are greater than those who receive social assistance," he explained.

Gus Ipul revealed that there were three forms of empowerment that would be given according to the results of the assessment of each KPM. Namely, improving skills, strengthening access, and strengthening assets.

"Yes, we will try what it is first, (for example) they need skill improvement or they need additional assets, places for businesses for example, or maybe the third one is opened, maybe in cooperation with many parties," he concluded.