Beneficiary Selection and Allowance Utilization of Social Safety Net Programme in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study attempts to analyze the beneficiary selection and allowance utilization of social safety net (SSN) programmes in Bangladesh through using field level primary data. It finds that SSN transfers are not always distributed among the poor and vulnerable people who deserve to receive the allocation for fighting against poverty and vulnerability. We find that more than half of the selected beneficiaries under SSN programme do not comply with one or more priority criteria of the programme. Sometimes, the compulsory criteria are also overlooked while selecting beneficiaries. Such a scenario urges for revising and monitoring the beneficiary selection process. The study findings also indicate that about 60% of the received allowance money is spent for purchasing food, which signals that people still remain in vulnerable situation even after taking shelter under the umbrella of SSN. Therefore, an initiative to increase in allowance amount, change in beneficiary selection procedure and intensification of monitoring might contribute to promote human rights and social protection in Bangladesh through facilitating right peoples’ access to SSN programmes and boosting up SSN allowance amounts for fighting against poverty and vulnerability.