• Description: An initiative designed to reduce loan balances, eliminate accumulated charges, and provide a sustainable path toward repayment for both current and delinquent borrowers.

• Qualifications / Benefits:

  • For Current Borrowers: A $100,000 credit is applied to the loan account of students in good standing (estimated at approximately 8,890 customers).

  • For Delinquent Borrowers: A 50% waiver on interest arrears, a 100% waiver on late charges, and a 100% waiver on insurance fees.

  • Long-term Incentive: Customers who remain current for one year after the reset are eligible for a 2% reduction in their interest rate.

• Where to Apply: Applications are submitted through the new SLB Customer Portal on the official Student Loan Bureau website.

• Deadline for Applications: The program runs from December 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026. For those receiving waivers, the remaining balance must be settled within five months. Deadline extended to December 31st, 2026.

• Description: This program is one of several measures introduced by the Student Loan Bureau (SLB) to support vulnerable borrowers and address socioeconomic disruptions following Hurricane Melissa. It provides direct financial assistance to students in the most severely affected areas.

• Qualifications:

  • Enrollment: Must be a student enrolled in a tertiary institution.

  • Location: The program specifically targets students in five parishes identified as the hardest hit: St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James, and Trelawny.

  • Case-by-Case Eligibility: Students outside these five parishes who have been impacted may still be eligible for support based on an individual assessment by the SLB.

• Benefit Amount: A one-time grant of $60,000.

• Where to Apply: Affected individuals are encouraged to contact the Student Loan Bureau (SLB) directly to access these initiatives.

• Deadline for Applications: While a specific closing date for the grant was not explicitly mentioned, the announcement stated the program was set to be introduced starting the week following December 3, 2025.

• Description: This initiative provides a temporary pause on student loan payments for borrowers living in the most devastated areas of the country, allowing them to prioritize immediate recovery needs.

• Qualifications:

  • Primary Eligibility: The program is automatically targeted at approximately 4,450 repayment customers residing in five high-impact parishes: St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James, and Trelawny.

  • Case-by-Case Eligibility: Borrowers living outside these five parishes who have been severely impacted by the hurricane can contact the Student Loan Bureau (SLB) for an individual assessment to receive similar support.

• Benefit Period: A three-month deferment on account payments.

• Specific Dates: The deferment covers the period from November 2025 to January 2026.

• Where to Apply: * Eligible borrowers in the target parishes are typically identified through SLB records.

  • Individuals seeking case-by-case assistance or more information should contact the Student Loan Bureau directly or use the new SLB Customer Portal on their official website.

• Deadline for Applications: While a final closing date was not explicitly stated in the announcement, the program was scheduled to be introduced and active starting the week of December 8, 2025.

• Description: This program is designed to provide immediate financial breathing room for fishers who suffered losses during the hurricane. While the specific technical name "Fishers Fees Moratorium" is used to describe the suspension of certain regulatory costs, the announcement also detailed a broader support package to help fishers resume operations.

• Qualifications / Key Benefits:

  • Moratorium on Fees: A suspension of various fees typically paid to the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) to lower the cost of doing business during the recovery phase.

  • Equipment and Supplies: Provision of essential fishing gear and supplies to replace what was lost at sea or damaged by the storm.

  • Supply Chain Support: The Ministry is facilitating connections between fishers and local businesses. For example, 26 fishermen have been specifically identified to supply 44 reconstructed shops in the "Border" area (the boundary between Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth).

• Where to Apply: Fishers can access these benefits and information through the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) or the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining.

• Deadline for Applications: A specific end date for the moratorium was not provided in the briefing; however, the Ministry stated that they are currently in "Phase Two" of recovery, which involves intensifying interventions over the next six months.

• Description: The National Housing Trust (NHT) has introduced a specialized grant to provide direct financial aid for home repairs following Hurricane Melissa. This is a non-repayable grant intended to assist with the costs of repairing property damage caused specifically by Hurricane Melissa. For this recovery period, the maximum grant amount has been increased to $500,000.

• Qualifications:

  • Contributors: Current NHT contributors whose properties were damaged.

  • Mortgagors: Current NHT mortgagors.

  • Pensioners: Pensioners who may not have the financial means to take on a loan.

  • Former Contributors: Individuals who previously contributed but stopped can benefit through an accelerated program to bring their status up to date.

  • Priority Groups: Priority is given to those with the greatest need and those most severely impacted by the hurricane. It is not a "first come, first served" system; each application is assessed based on the extent of damage.

• Where to Apply:

  • Online: Application forms and checklists are available on the NHT portal atnht.gov.jm/recover.

  • In-Person: Forms can be submitted at any NHT branch office or service center.

  • Outreach: NHT mobile units are also visiting communities to provide forms and assistance directly to residents.

• Deadline for Applications: Unlike peril insurance, there is no fixed deadline for the disaster grant at this stage, allowing people to apply as soon as they are in a position to do so.

• Description: A special moratorium that allows for a six-month suspension of all mortgage payments. This break is scheduled to take place between November 2025 and April 2026, with regular payments resuming on May 1, 2026.

• Qualifications:

  • Automatic Qualification: Mortgagors in the seven worst-affected parishes—Manchester, St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James, St. Ann, and Trelawny—are automatically covered. The NHT has already contacted employers of individuals who pay via salary deduction to stop these payments.

  • Case-by-Case Qualification: Mortgagors in other parishes who have been impacted by the hurricane may also qualify for a moratorium on a case-by-case basis.

  • Post-Moratorium Support: If a mortgagor is still unable to resume payments by May 1, 2026, or if their new adjusted monthly payment (which will include resumed insurance costs) is not comfortable, the NHT is open to negotiating further support, such as extending the loan term to keep payments affordable.

• Where to Apply:

  • Automatic: No application process is required for those in the seven most affected parishes.

  • Online: https://www.nht.gov.jm/hurricane-relief-moratorium

  • In-Person: Assistance is available at any NHT branch office, service center, or through mobile units traveling to various communities.

• Deadline for Applications:

  • The Hurricane Melissa Moratorium ended on April 30, 2026. Regular mortgage payments will resume on May 1, 2026. 

  • If your NHT-mortgaged home remains uninhabitable or severely damaged, you may apply for an extension. Applications must be submitted by June 30, 2026.

• Description: The National Housing Trust (NHT) is offering a specialized home improvement loan to assist with the significant costs of repairing and strengthening homes damaged by Hurricane Melissa. This is a loan facility providing up to $3.5 million per collateral at a highly subsidized interest rate of 2%. The loan is repayable over a period of up to 20 years or until the borrower reaches age 70, whichever comes first.

• Qualifications:

  • Contributors: Current NHT contributors whose properties sustained damage directly from Hurricane Melissa.

  • Family Members: Siblings, spouses, and offspring of a homeowner can apply for the loan to support impacted family members, even if the family member's name is not on the property title.

  • Use of Funds: Funds can be used for direct repairs or for improvements to make the home more resilient, such as upgrading from aluminum zinc roofing to slab roofing.

• Where to Apply:

  • Online: https://www.nht.gov.jm/hurricane-relief-loan

  • In-Person: Applications can be processed at any NHT branch office or service center.

  • Mobile Units: The NHT is deploying mobile units directly into communities to provide information and application forms; schedules are posted on the Trust's social media pages.

• Deadline for Applications: There is currently no fixed deadline for this loan facility, as the NHT recognizes that individuals will recover at different paces.

Note on Disbursement: The loan is not issued in a single lump sum. Instead, it is disbursed in tranches following assessments by NHT project officers to ensure work is completed satisfactorily according to the repair plan.

• Description: The National Housing Trust (NHT) has activated its comprehensive peril insurance coverage to assist mortgagors whose properties were damaged by Hurricane Melissa. This is a blanket coverage scheme included in the monthly mortgage payments of NHT mortgagors. It provides financial support to repair and restore properties damaged by natural disasters and other events, including hurricanes, floods, windstorms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, fires, and theft.

• Qualifications:

  • Must be an individual who services their mortgage directly with the NHT.

  • The property must have sustained damage directly as a result of Hurricane Melissa.

  • Mortgagors are encouraged to document damage with photographs before making emergency repairs and to keep all receipts for repair costs.

• Where to Apply:

  • Online: https://www.nht.gov.jm/hurricane-melissa-peril-insurance-claim

  • In-Person: Claims can be submitted at any NHT branch office or service center.

  • Mobile Units: Affected residents can access assistance through NHT mobile units traveling into communities; schedules are posted on the NHT’s social media pages.

• Deadline for Applications: The deadline to submit peril insurance claims is January 15, 2026.

• Description: Effective April 1, 2026, the Income Tax threshold was increased to $1,902,360, up from $1,799,376. The effective tax-free amount for the full twelve months of 2026 is $1,876,614. The increase results in savings of $25,518 annually / ~$2,126.50 monthly per individual. 

• Qualifications:

  • Resident individuals are eligible for the annual tax-free threshold.

  • Non-resident individuals are not eligible and are taxed at 25% from the first dollar of chargeable income.

  • Pensioners and 65+ receive additional exemptions of $250,040 per category, bringing their combined tax-free income to $2,376,654.

• Where to Apply: This is an automatic benefit. Employers should adjust payroll systems accordingly. 

• Deadline: None - Phased increase until 2028.

• Useful References:

  • Income Tax Threshold Increase and Tax Credit

  • PWC: Jamaica Individual Taxes on Personal Income

• Description: A $1-billion programme providing a one-time cash grant of $20,000 to 50,000 vulnerable Jamaicans. Beyond the cash transfer, it serves as a gateway to long-term support including HEART skills training, job placement, National Health Fund prescription aid, and national registration support. 

• Qualifications: The programme targets

  • The elderly

  • Unattached youth between the ages of 18–35

  • Persons with disabilities

  • Informal and low-income workers

  • Medically indigent persons

  • Small business operators affected by disaster

  • Jamaicans without a birth certificate or TRN.

  • Other considerations regarding qualification:

    • Jamaicans already receiving Social Pension, PATH, Poor Relief, NIS, or the Reverse Income Tax Credit are not eligible. 

    • For those without official documentation, verification can be facilitated by a justice of the peace, MP, or minister of religion. 

• Where to Apply:

  • Referrals from a Member of Parliament or civil society organisation

  • Walk-in visits to Ministry of Labour and Social Security parish offices

  • Community outreach fairs

  • Online: www.payout.gov.jm.

• Deadline: December 2025 - a second payment round scheduled for January 2026