More than 7,000 households damaged by Hurricane Melissa have still not received government support under the Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters, ROOFS, programme.

This is because of problems with their Taxpayer Registration Numbers, TRNs.

Colliecia Wright tells us more.

Data obtained by Nationwide News, dated October 29, shows 7,198 assessed households with unpaid grants flagged for TRN issues.

In more than 3,300 cases the TRN does not match the person’s records.

Another 2,724 have an invalid TRN, almost all because no number was recorded at all.

One thousand one hundred and forty-one TRNs could not be found.

Westmoreland is the hardest hit, with 2,096 households affected.

St. Elizabeth follows with 1,283, then St. James with 1,242, Trelawny with 637 and St. Ann with 609.

Many are among the worst affected.

One thousand seven hundred and twenty of the homes were assessed as destroyed, and 2,850 as having major damage.

The remaining 2,628 had minor damage.

The households account for more than 19,000 people, including nearly four-and-a-half-thousand elderly persons.

None of them reports having home insurance.

Labour and Social Security Minister, Pearnel Charles Junior, says over 106,000 beneficiaries were assessed as eligible for ROOFS, and more than 49,000 have been served.

That leaves roughly 57,000 still waiting.

The TRN cases make up about one in eight of them.

Prime Minister, Dr. Andrew Holness, stated that about $12 billion has been spent on the programme so far.

Last week, he announced an additional $9.56 billion, with instructions to pay at least 90 percent of assessed households by the end of December and the rest by January.

Dr. Holness acknowledged payments will take time because of bureaucratic requirements and verification and has asked the ministry to pay those who have completed the process.