Scheme for Food Distribution (SFFD)

Overview

The Scheme for Food Distribution, also known as the SFFD, is given to people who are most in need or vulnerable. The scheme is aimed at reaching a wide range of people who are most in need or vulnerable. Households who benefit from the Food 4 You Support Project which is co-financed by the European Social Fund+ of the European Union will not be eligible to also benefit from the Scheme for Food Distribution.

Eligible households will be provided with food products depending on the composition of the household coupled with the necessary social support.

Besides offering material assistance to households who are most in need or vulnerable, this scheme also contributes towards the reduction of poverty and social exclusion.

What you’ll get

Through this scheme, healthy food products, that will contribute towards a person maintaining a balanced and varied diet, will be periodically distributed to those who are eligible.

The food package includes pasta, including whole wheat pasta, rice, including whole-grain rice; canned tuna, tinned vegetables and tomato pulp.

This material aid is distributed twice (2) a year.

Eligibility

General eligibility criteria:

1. Households in receipt of a non-contributory benefit, which includes beneficiaries on Unemployment Assistance, Special Unemployment Benefit, Social Assistance, beneficiaries on Social Assistance Board and Single Unmarried Parent).
2. Persons eligible for a non-contributory means tested Age Pension with a single status.
3. Persons in receipt of the Energy Benefit.
4. Persons in receipt of a disability assistance, which includes the Disability Assistance, the Severe Disability Assistance, the Increased Severe Disability Assistance and the Assistance for the Visually Impaired, and who are not in employment.

Persons residing in state or private hospitals, institutions or residential-homes, are not eligible.

How to apply

There is no need to submit any application to benefit from this scheme, as the Department of Social Security has the necessary details of those who are eligible.

This material assistance is distributed in centres spread around Malta and Gozo to facilitate as much as possible the collection of such aid to those who are eligible.

Eligible households will receive a letter in advance informing them of their eligibility to this scheme. The letter will also include details from which centre, dates and times, they may collect the material assistance to which they are entitled to receive.