The Opposition criticised Government yesterday for giving one of the most important departments a ?drop in the bucket? when it came to funding. Sen. Gina Spence Farmer chastised Government for what she considered a paltry budget for the Department of Financial Assistance.

The outburst came yesterday as Sen. Raymond Tannock outlined the budget in the Senate. This year the Department?s budget has risen six percent. It is now $17 million.

Financial assistance is offered to seniors, people with disabilities, low income families and unemployed persons who do not possess more than $5,000 in assets. To be eligible for financial assistance you must have a home address.

He said the Department followed regulations set out in 2004 which enabled it to perform more efficiently. He noted that the pre-screening process meant that the Department was able to provide eligible people with assistance within ten days of a home visit. He added that a relatively new position, Investigations Officer, had meant the Department uncovered people who had undisclosed funds and were actually ineligible to receive financial assistance.

The Department was successful in recouping overpayments to people ineligible for the assistance thanks to the Investigation Officers, he said.

Over the past year the number of people who receive financial assistance every month ranges between 700 and 770, the number of people has increased since 2004-2005. Of those 700-770 people, approximately 375 people are seniors while 250 people are disabled.

This means that financial assistance reaches approximately 145 low income or unemployed individuals and families.

Sen. Spence Farmer said that the amount the Department had been given was ?disheartening? considering the number of people hovering on the edge of poverty.

Expecting people to wait until their savings dropped as low as $5,000 was unrealistic, especially for families, and meant that many people were unable to get assistance when they desperately needed it, she said.

Another issue the Senator had with the implementation of the programme was that people were required to have a physical address before applying for assistance. She said that the current housing crisis saw many people living in cars, caves and trees, which would make them ineligible for assistance though they clearly were in dire straits. ?Have a little more compassion,? she pleaded.

?We need to get real about the plight of the Bermudian people. Businesses are closing their doors, hotels are closing, there are people with no house, no money and no job. There are people with jobs whose mortgagees are getting recalled.

?These people need help and they are everywhere.

?It [the budget is not enough not when we can write off $49 million and waste money on other projects.

?And until your plate is empty and your cupboard is empty you don;t realise. I have people calling me every week. We are not asking the Government to pay people?s mortgages we want them to stop wasting money and give the Department of Financial Assistance more.?

Sen. Swan delivered a similar plea, though less passionate than Sen. Spence Farmer?s, and said his party was listening to the people and informing the Government of their plight because it was busy waging war against departments like the Salvation Army.

He also labelled the Government ?champagne socialists?.

Sen. Tannock did not have time to respond to the Opposition speeches and questions because the allotted period to discuss the Department of Financial Assistance had ended during Sen. Swan?s speech.