Family card survey begins on Monday

The government will begin collecting household-level data nationwide on Monday (October 12) under its Family Card programme, urging citizens to provide accurate information and warning them against paying money to anyone promising inclusion on the beneficiary list.

The government will also use mosques, temples, pagodas and churches to raise public awareness about the initiative, according to a letter issued by the Ministry of Social Welfare on October 8.

The ministry has requested the Ministry of Religious Affairs to coordinate with the Islamic Foundation and the Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Religious Welfare Trusts to disseminate information through religious institutions across the country.

According to the letter, data collection will begin simultaneously across the country, covering local administrative areas and households. The ministry has prepared the Family Card Thana Database Data Collection Guidelines, 2026 to facilitate the process.

Under the programme, trained government personnel carrying official identification cards will visit households to collect information about families’ socioeconomic conditions. The data will be used to identify households most in need of government assistance.

The government has urged people to provide accurate information about their actual financial and social circumstances to ensure that assistance reaches those who need it most.

A three-minute announcement before Friday prayers at mosques will encourage people to provide truthful information and warn them against financial fraud. The message states that no payment is required to provide information or be considered for inclusion in the Family Card beneficiary list.

Meanwhile, two-minute announcements at temples, churches and Buddhist monasteries will urge people to provide accurate information and check on elderly people and persons with disabilities in their neighbourhoods to ensure they are not overlooked during the survey.

The awareness messages also advise people to report anyone demanding money in connection with the programme by calling 1098.

Copies of the Social Welfare Ministry's letter have been sent to the director general of the Islamic Foundation, the secretary of the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust and other relevant officials for information and necessary action.