Cash Assistances

Multipurpose Cash Assistance: cash for basic needs provided on bi-monthly basis or once-off during the winter months to the most vulnerable registered refugees and asylum seekers, according to the results of the vulnerability assessments.
Other cash grants: such as livelihoods (through Etijah, Life Makers and Plan International) and cash for education (through Catholic Relief Services) are provided as once-off following sectoral criteria applied by UNHCR and other relevant partners.

Multipurpose Cash assistance is provided only to the most vulnerable refugees based on specific eligibility criteria and on the availability of funds.

UNHCR relies on multiple sources of information to reach eligibility decisions related to cash assistance.

Information used for selection includes the information recorded during your registration with UNHCR as well as other information recorded. The decision takes into consideration several factors like financial well-being and risk profiles.

Several characteristics including refugees/asylum-seekers’ age, place of residence, number of family members and family composition, education level, financial status, specific needs, medical and employment status, among others, are all considered. Each refugee /asylum seeker’s profile is compared against other refugees and asylum seekers registered with UNHCR, and the most vulnerable families are selected.

Any eligibility decisions related to cash do not deny or enhance access to other assistance programs.

If you are found eligible to receive cash assistance, UNHCR will notify you via SMS to the phone number you registered with UNHCR. The SMS will include details on how to collect assistance where to collect assistance, what documents (if any) you will need to show to verify your identity, as well as the deadline for receiving the cash assistance.

Please make sure you keep your contact information up to date with UNHCR, so we can reach you. If you change your telephone number, please make sure to update it via UNHCR Infoline or through UNHCR Registration Centre.

Also, to ensure receiving the cash assistance, please make sure that your UNHCR documents are valid, and renew them as soon as possible if they have expired or within three months before their expiry. You can find information on renewal appointments here: Registration – UNHCR Egypt.

Being eligible but not on cash list means that your case meets UNHCR eligibility criteria, ; however, due to funding limitations, other cases who  were found to be more vulnerable have been prioritized to receive regular cash assistance. UNHCR is doing every effort to advocate for the needs of refugees with donors, and if UNHCR receives additional funds in future, and your case still meet UNHCR eligibility criteria at that time, you may then be included in the assistance, and you will then receive an SMS on your registered phone informing you of this decision.

Please do not trust anyone who claims to be able to directly add you to the list of beneficiaries in exchange of money. The eligibility determination process is automated using desk formula and no human intervention is possible. UNHCR is the final decision maker related to inclusion to cash assistance.

UNHCR services are free of charge. Do not pay for the interview and report the incident to UNHCR Infoline immediately.

We ask you not to deal with anyone claiming to provide or expedite any of UNHCR services and to report the incident as a case of fraud to: [email protected]

UNHCR will send you an SMS with your cash assistance amount. The cash assistance amount varies from one family to another, depending on the number of family members (as registered at UNHCR).

UNHCR provides cash assistance based on a scale that considers your family size. The amount you get may change due to changes in your family size as registered with UNHCR. In addition to family size, the amount of cash assistance may vary depending on the availability of funds to UNHCR.

In all cases, the amount of cash assistance you will receive will be mentioned in the SMS sent to you.

The cash assistance is provided only for limited period based on your continued eligibility and on availability of funds. If you are no longer eligible to the assistance according to UNHCR criteria, UNHCR will send you the following SMS to inform you about the date of stopping the cash assistance.

“Your case [CASE NUMBER] is no longer eligible for regular cash assistance according to UNHCR criteria. Your assistance will be stopped from [MM/YY].

If you are no longer eligible for cash assistance according to UNHCR eligibility criteria, UNHCR will send an SMS with your cash assistance end date to your phone number that is registered at UNHCR.

“Your case [CASE NUMBER] is no longer eligible for regular cash assistance according to UNHCR criteria. Your assistance will be stopped from [MM/YY]”

If your assistance is stopped unexpectedly and you did not receive a text message on your registered phone with the assistance end date, please contact UNHCR Infoline.

You can collect your cash assistance at post office branches in Egypt. Once your assistance is ready at Egypt Post, you will receive a notification SMS from UNHCR on the phone registered at UNHCR indicating the amount of money you should receive and the deadline for receiving the assistance. Please make sure to go to the post office once you receive the SMS. Also, please make sure to always keep your phone number updated at UNHCR to ensure receiving the SMS, and to always renew your UNHCR card as expired UNHCR cards are not accepted at Egypt Post Offices

In case you were notified of an IRIS enabled cash collection; you will be required to approach any IRIS enabled post office from the list below. If no iris-enabled collection is mentioned in your SMS, then you can receive your assistance from any post office branch using your valid UNHCR card.

You will know this information through the notification SMS you will receive from UNHCR. If you are to receive the cash assistance through Iris scan, this will be clarified in the SMS. Also, a hyperlink to the list of iris-enabled post offices will be provided in the SMS.

Otherwise, and if the SMS does not mention that you are iris-enabled, then you can receive your cash assistance from any post office branch all over Egypt using your valid UNHCR card.

A sample of the SMS you will receive is demonstrated below:

Iris-Enabled Cash Collection:

“Your case [CASE NUMBER] is eligible for regular cash assistance. You will receive cash amount of [VALUE] EGP through IRIS scan from   Post Office until [END DATE]. To find the nearest Iris-Enabled Post Office please check [URL]. Duration of assistance depends on funding availability and fulfilling eligibility criteria.”

Non-Iris Cash Collection:

“Your case [CASE NUMBER] is eligible for regular cash assistance.  You will receive cash amount of [VALUE] EGP through Post Office until [END DATE]. Follow this link to find the nearest Post Office [URL]. Duration of assistance depends on funding availability and fulfilling eligibility criteria.”

The principal applicant as registered with UNHCR is the only one who can receive the cash assistance on behalf of the family. Accordingly, please update your UNHCR file as soon as possible in case there is any change in the principal applicant or in family composition in general.

The principal applicant may decide to delegate another individual within the case to receive funds on his/her behalf due to strong, justifiable reasons that make the principal applicant unable to go to the post office. In order to delegate someone within your case to collect cash assistance on your behalf, please contact UNHCR Infoline or go to UNHCR Registration Office, along with the nominated alternate collector to fill and sign a delegation request.

Please ensure you are following SMS instructions and remember:

• Only the principal applicant on the case indicated in the SMS can collect assistance. No one else can collect the cash assistance on behalf of the principal applicant. (unless you have made a delegation request at UNHCR Infoline and nominated an alternated collector)
• Ensure you collect assistance before cash collection deadline – indicated in the SMS.
• At the post office, ensure that you hold the iris-scanner on the same level with your eyes, and that your eyes are wide open and directly looking at the scanner while your iris is being scanned. Ensure that you do not blink or look sideways while your iris is being scanned. Also, ensure that you not wearing any colored or patterned contact lenses.
• Approach different iris-enabled post offices or try again at a different day.

If the problem is not solved after following all of the above, please contact UNHCR Infoline or UNHCR Reception Centre soon as possible to record your complaint in the system. This is a very important step. Without a formal complaint, UNHCR will not be able to address the issue effectively. A staff member will discuss and help you solve the problem and will also record your complaint on the system.

UNHCR will investigate the causes of your issue and if it is found that you followed the above steps, UNHCR will resolve your complaint within the collection cycle if your complaint is received at least three (3) days before the deadline of cash collection.  You will be notified via SMS when, where, and how you can collect your assistance. Please regularly check your registered phone for SMSs from UNHCR. If your complaint is submitted within two days before the cash collection deadline, or on the last day of cash collection, and is found to be valid, you will be reimbursed during the next cash cycle.”

If your card is expired or about to be expired within the coming three (3) months, we strongly advise you to request a renewal appointment as soon as possible through contacting UNHCR Infoline, or by going directly to UNHCR Registration Office.  Please inform UNHCR InfoLine or UNHCR staff at UNHCR Reception gate that you are on cash assistance at the time of requesting the renewal appointment.

Please note that Egypt Post does not accept expired UNHCR card, and you will not be able to receive your cash assistance if your card is expired.

UNHCR gives refugees and asylum-seekers enough time to collect the cash assistance. Therefore, UNHCR usually extends the collection period over five working days. The exact time period is included in the text message sent by UNHCR, so please approach the nearest post office before the end of the collection period, otherwise you will not be able to collect the cash assistance.

If you suffer from visual impairment or major eye problems such as cataracts or have undergone a surgical operation in the eye conditions that lead to iris recognition failure, please make sure to report this to UNHCR Infoline/ UNHCR Registration Office at least three days before the collection deadline and your collection method will be changed. UNHCR staff will ask you to provide valid medical reports that contains your diagnosis as evidence for your eye conditions, so please be ready to share these documents with UNHCR. (N.B: Without a medical report we will not be able to change your collection method.) You will receive another SMS notifying you of the new time period for cash assistance with your UNHCR card. Please always check your registered phone for an SMS from UNHCR after you file a complaint.

In exceptional cases, you may delegate an alternate collector if you have compelling reasons that prevent you from visiting the post office to receive your cash assistance—such as medical conditions that affect mobility. To nominate an alternate collector, please contact the UNHCR InfoLine, which will initiate a delegation request on your behalf. You will then receive a call from UNHCR to schedule an appointment at the UNHCR Registration Centre, where both you and your nominated alternate will be required to sign the delegation form. You will be expected to nominate an alternate collector who has the same UNHCR case number to receive your cash assistance. The procedures are set out to safeguard your entitlements. Your cooperation is needed. Please note that your delegation is valid for a maximum of 12 months, after which it will automatically expire. If you want to renew the delegation, you will need to contact UNHCR Infoline and sign a new delegation form at least one month before the next cash collection cycle.

You can submit a request at any time to cancel/revoke your nomination of an alternative collector to UNHCR Infoline. Your application will be reviewed, and your request to cancel your nomination of an alternative collector will be effective starting from the next cash cycle after your request.

Although cash assistance is disbursed to the principal applicant as registered with UNHCR, it is meant to benefit the whole family. UNHCR does not interfere in family conflicts/disagreements to determine who the head of the family is and who collects the cash assistance on their behalf. We encourage you to engage together as a family and try to seek a solution to this disagreement.

Text messages are the main method of communication by UNHCR, through the phone number you provided to UNHCR. If you did not receive the notification SMS, please make sure that all your contact information is updated with UNHCR. Contact UNHCR Infoline in case you have changed your telephone number. Also, please make sure that your phone connectivity is working. Poor connectivity may affect the delivery of SMSs. If you did not receive an SMS at the usual time of cash disbursement you may also contact UNHCR Infoline to inquire about the timing and duration of cash collection.

Receiving your cash assistance from the Post Office branches during the normal operating days and hours (From Sunday to Thursday, from 8:00 am to 3:00 am) is free of charge, and you should not pay any additional fees to receive your cash assistance. If you are asked to pay any additional fees during these standard operating days and hours, please refuse and report this incident to UNHCR.

However, according to Egypt Post regulations, if you receive your assistance from Post Office branches outside the above standard working days or hours, i.e. after 3:00 PM or on Saturdays, you will be asked by the teller to pay an additional fee of 10 EGP. Also, if you receive your assistance from any Post Office Kiosk/ mobile branch at any time, you will have to pay an additional fee of 5 EGP.

If you are receiving your cash assistance using only UNHCR card, then you may go to any of the 4,000 Egypt Post branches distributed across Egypt.

If you are receiving your assistance using iris-scanning, then you may to any of the branches enlisted in this page to receive your assistance. If you find one of those branches crowded, please go to the nearest iris-enabled post office according to the list below or ask the post office staff on alternate post offices, and they will instruct you accordingly.

No. Cash assistance is available at the post office until the deadline indicated in SMS.

Please make sure you collect the cash assistance on time, preferably once you receive the SMS on your phone. At the end of the collection period UNHCR reclaims the cash assistance, and there will be no possibility of sending you the missed cash assistance.

Also, please not that if you do not collect your cash assistance for two consecutive cycles, you will be removed from the cash list and you will no longer receive the regular cash assistance.

Please call UNHCR Infoline in case you face any problem. You can also go to UNHCR Registration Centre to file a complaint.  UNHCR staff will provide you with the suitable advice and will take any required actions. Please do so as early as possible before the cash collection deadline to be able to / solve your problem in a timely manner.

Eligibility and reimbursement decisions taken by UNHCR will be directly communicated to you through SMS Therefore, it is important to keep your telephone number up to date. Through contacting UNHCR Registration Centre or Infoline to update your phone number.

If you do not collect the cash assistance for two (2) consecutive distribution cycles, your case will be removed from the cash list and another vulnerable family will be added in your place. Please make sure to contact UNHCR Infoline once you face any situation that prevents you from collecting your cash assistance.

Periodically UNHCR randomly selects groups of refugees on cash assistance to collect views about the cash assistance program using authorized third-party monitoring company called “SAGACI”. Also, other surveys may be conducted by UNHCR through other entities (for example, CAPMAS) If you are selected to be interviewed for this survey, you will receive an SMS from UNHCR before the survey to notify you of your selection and of the name of the entity conducting the survey on behalf of UNHCR

Please be open and accurate in your responses as they help UNHCR and Partners improve services provided to refugees. The survey does not affect your eligibility to receive cash assistance. All monitoring surveys are optional and will NOT affect your assistance, the responses you provide will be treated with strict confidentiality.

UNHCR continuously reviews the data of the registered families in Egypt. Before each cash distribution cycle, a number of families who no longer meet UNHCR eligibility criteria are removed from cash assistance based on the analysis of the collected data. Also, cases who did not collect their cash assistance for two consecutive distribution cycles, and cases with closed and inactive files are removed from the cash list. Cases who are no longer eligible for cash assistance will receive a notification SMS from UNHCR on their registered phones informing them on the decision and on the start date of the removal.

Due to the critical funding situation for UNHCR, the number of families receiving regular cash assistance has been reduced starting from May 2025. Also, vulnerability assessment interviews are currently on hold. Accordingly, UNHCR is currently unable to receive complaints or appeal requests from cases who were removed from the cash assistance. UNHCR will continue to update refugees as the situation evolves.

For any other inquiries not covered in this website, or for feedback, or complaints concerning cash assistance, please contact UNHCR Infoline. Also, for timely updates on cash assistance, please follow UNHCR social media page (Arabic page, English and other languages page) and our WhatsApp channel in Arabic.