Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Friday, 14th August 2026: The Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, Investment and Trade is pleased to advise that the first batch of applications for the Cost of Living Relief (COLR) Programme has been successfully processed.
The COLR Programme received 15,546 applications by the closure of the portal on 22 July 2026. By 5 August 2026, 10,626 applicants (68.4%) had been processed and deemed eligible, while 155 applications were identified as duplicates and 33 were declined for not meeting the eligibility criteria.
The Ministry has prepared an analysis report of Batch 1, which provides a statistical breakdown of key indicators from Batch 1 beneficiaries.
A synopsis of key statistics shows that 70.6% of beneficiaries were status holders, compared with 29.4% British Overseas Territories Citizens. The total number of beneficiaries in batch 1 was 10,626. The major concentration was in Providenciales with 77.4% (8,228 beneficiaries). Other islands’ beneficiaries include Grand Turk (14.9%), North Caicos (3.9%), South Caicos and Ambergris Cay (3.0%), Middle Caicos (0.4%), and Salt Cay (0.3%).
The main uses of the relief funds were living expenses, accounting for 67.2% of beneficiaries, and utilities, accounting for 31.8%. Overall, the programme provided targeted income support that helped preserve household purchasing power and alleviate immediate financial pressures.
The full detailed report is attached and will be accessible via www.gov.tc/mof.
ENDS