Cabinet on Wednesday approved a 15 per cent increase in the incentives paid to HIV-positive individuals who comply with their treatment regimen.

The scheme, with an initial budget of €1,980,000, started on July 1, 2018.

It aims to provide incentives to HIV-positive individuals to follow their treatment, by paying a monthly amount to those who do so.

Beneficiaries of the plan for HIV-positive people used to receive €300 per month.

The amount was granted without any other criteria such as income and was not considered for the purposes of granting the minimum guaranteed income and low income pensioners’ allowances.