The Fiji Labour Party Leader is condemning as cruel and grossly insensitive, the government's decision to cut off most of the 19,000 recipients of its Family Assistance Scheme.
Mahendra Chaudhry says the decision will, in effect, sentence these people to extreme hardship and indignity.
According to a statement from the Director of Social Welfare, Rupeni Fatiaki, the cuts will extend to the unemployed who may have assets and property.
Last year the regime removed over 500 families from its list of recipients for State assistance and Labour says the guillotine is now coming down on the rest.
Mr Chaudhry says the planned cut-off in family assistance on such a massive scale will undoubtedly add to growing social problems such as crime, child prostitution, human trafficking, domestic violence, child abuse and suicide.
