11 million people receive 500,000-toman increase in food allowance; other households in limbo

In Iran's "food allowance" (caloric voucher) system designed to combat poverty, approximately 11 million people under the Emdad Committee and Social Welfare Organization have had 500,000 tomans in additional credit deposited in their accounts. According to ISNA's report, a deputy minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare said the supplementary benefit targets only certain eligible groups.

According to ISNA, the general food allowance credit for the month of Mehr (approximately September-October) remained unchanged at one million tomans per person; in addition to this, households under the Emdad Committee and Behzisti (Welfare) Organization received an extra 500,000 tomans. The official stated that when and in what amount similar increases will be applied to other eligible food-allowance beneficiaries has not yet been determined and depends on securing financial resources and government executive orders. The Kayhan newspaper also reported the increase for Emdad and Behzisti beneficiaries the same day; there is no numerical discrepancy between the two sources.

The food allowance operates as a balance loaded onto an electronic card, allowing eligible households to purchase government-designated staple foods (bread flour, oil, sugar, meat and dairy products) at subsidized prices. Unlike cash assistance, the system directs spending directly to specific product categories and renews monthly. According to the deputy minister, today's additional 500,000-toman item represents a separate payment tier from the general food-allowance balance, targeting only Emdad and Behzisti households; this shows how the system operates in layered fashion across different income groups.

According to statements in ISNA's report, the ministry prioritizes the most vulnerable and lowest-income groups in allocating resources; households under the Emdad Committee and Behzisti typically consist of the elderly, disabled, or single-parent families—groups with the greatest support needs. Other food-allowance beneficiaries come from general social security and working populations; when additional payments for this group will be reflected in the budget remains tied to the government's end-of-year fiscal planning.

Context

The food-allowance system has been progressively expanded to support low-income households following sharp currency fluctuations and the impact of sanctions on food prices. For earlier developments and the system's connection to the dollar exchange rate, see reports on the new food-allowance model and the dollar at 270,000 tomans and food-allowance shares. Today's increase covers only the lowest-income group under the Emdad Committee and Behzisti; uncertainty remains about when similar support will reach other food-allowance beneficiaries, who make up most of the general population. This reflects the government's effort to balance limited fiscal capacity with a broad population of beneficiaries. In a period when inflation is rapidly driving up food prices, there is also public debate about whether support amounts preserve real purchasing power.