Hundreds of Jamaican teachers who are clients of Marathon Insurance Brokers (MIB) are set to enjoy a special cash giveback over the next two months.

As of this week, the COVID-19 Helping Hand Programme, which saw thousands of MIB clients who are healthcare workers and employees who have been laid off from their jobs being gifted with reduced instalment payments on insurance premium loans, will be expanded to include the nation’s teachers.

The COVID-19 Helping Hand Programme, launched early May, released some $2 million into the hands of healthcare and other workers by a 50 per cent slash in the payment of the due premium instalment.

The decision by Marathon to extend the programme to August 6 and to offer the benefit to teachers, means that the total giveback will now cost the company in the region of $4 million.

MIB reports that while there has been a rush for the benefit among healthcare workers and others who have been laid off, requests have been mounting from the education sector for teachers to be included.