Iran's cash assistance for the month of Mehr (the seventh month of the Iranian calendar, September 23 to October 22, 2026) will be disbursed in two phases according to a published schedule. According to Ettelaat, households in income brackets one through three will receive their payment on October 17 (25 Mehr), while households in brackets four through nine will receive theirs on October 22 (30 Mehr).
The report states that the per-capita base amount varies by income bracket: households in brackets one through three receive 400,000 tomans per capita, while those in brackets four through nine receive 300,000 tomans per capita. A household's total payment is calculated based on the number of eligible household members; this calculation applies only when all individuals in the household qualify, so the final amount depends on the number of eligible persons.
Ettelaat stressed that no increase in assistance amounts has been announced in the Mehr payment period reports, therefore an increase cannot be concluded from the payment schedule announcement alone. The reported base amounts remain 400,000 and 300,000 tomans per capita for brackets one-three and four-nine respectively; any change in these amounts or eligibility conditions requires evaluation based on official agency statements.
The report advises that households note their income bracket's payment date and check their bank account to verify receipt. Until official confirmation arrives, these dates should be regarded only as a published timetable, not confirmation of actual deposit.
The income-bracket system ranks households from one to nine according to declared and registered income; bracket one encompasses the lowest-income households and bracket nine the highest. Ettelaat's report did not specify which agency updates this ranking or how frequently; this detail remains unconfirmed.
Context
The cash assistance system was established under the targeted subsidy reform enacted in 2010, replacing price subsidies on certain goods with direct cash payments to households; over time, it was divided into brackets by household income. Currency depreciation and ongoing inflation have substantially eroded the purchasing power of these fixed payments over years; this erosion is why the government has turned to supplementary tools like increasing food-card support. The unvarying Mehr payment schedule shows that cash amounts have not been updated for now, while complementary programs like food cards have been emphasized instead.
The lowest-income bracket household receiving 400,000 tomans per capita translates to roughly 1.6 million tomans total for a four-person household; whether this figure covers basic food expenses under current market conditions was not evaluated in the report. The recurrence of payment schedules as news in prior months suggests cash assistance is viewed as predictable but limited household support.
