Social Assistance Programs Research Articles

Covid-19 Social Relief Programmes and Distribution Mechanisms in East Africa: Lessons Learned

Covid-19 had social, physical and economic impacts that prompted governments to develop strategies to help their citizens cope with the mandatory lockdowns and curfews. East African countries faced several uncertainties and challenges in assisting their citizens, including a lack of funds to implement large-scale relief programmes, effective identification of eligible beneficiaries and viable distribution channels. Some African countries launched cash transfer and social assistance programmes. However, the size, efficiency and proportion of the population covered varied, leading to increased fraud, corruption and embezzlement. Patronage, political exploitation and partisanship were also prevalent. This article aims to assess the success of the East African Covid-19 cash and social assistance programmes and the mechanisms used and to draw lessons by comparing them with effective programmes outside Africa, in order to better inform the efficient design of future similar programmes. Using a data triangulation research methodology, the article finds that the Covid-19 relief programmes in many East African countries failed due to a lack of up-to-date multidimensional data on people's living standards, income and poverty levels. If East African countries are to implement effective social assistance programmes, they need to develop comprehensive and multi-faceted (resident) data collection systems to guide such programmes.

Analysis of Macroeconomic Indicators (A Case Study in North Sumatra Province)

This study explores the intricate relationship between unemployment, inflation, and poverty in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. In the second quarter of 2022, inflation surged, surpassing national and regional rates. Ali Hardana's research emphasizes inflation's impact on poverty, affecting purchasing power and wealth distribution. Methodologically, a quantitative approach using secondary data from 2010 to 2022 is employed. Panel data regression reveals economic growth's substantial influence on poverty, aligned with prior research. The study underscores Islamic economics' role in alleviating poverty, stressing justice, equitable wealth distribution, and governmental interventions. The Productive Economic Endeavors (UEP) and Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT) programs emerge as avenues for marginalized community upliftment, guided by social equity and economic progress. The study advocates sustained robust economic growth, equitable income distribution, and fortified social assistance programs as essential strategies to combat poverty. In essence, this study enriches comprehension of the complex ties between economic factors and poverty in North Sumatra.

Implementation Of Staple Food Program For Beneficiary Families In Sawah Kulon Village Pasawahan District Purwakarta Regency

This research is entitled "Implementation of the Staple Food Program for Beneficiary Families (KPM) in Sawah Kulon Village, Pasawahan District, Purwakarta Regency". which have been determined and implementation itself refers to various program implementation actions that have been prepared to achieve the planned program objectives. The Indonesian government is conducting business through social assistance programs that aim to reduce the level of poverty that occurs in Indonesia, one of which is with the assistance of the Basic Food Program, the basic food program is food social assistance that is distributed in non-cash form from the government to KPM every month via electronic money which is used only for buy groceries. The research method used is a qualitative approach method with informant selection techniques using purposive sampling. Data collection techniques in this study used techniques, namely: (1) Interview (2) Observation (3) Documentation Study. The number of informants in this study was divided into three parts, namely the main informants who were beneficiaries of eight families, the key informants, namely the Pasawahan District Social Welfare Workers and additional informants, namely the Village Secretary. The results of the study showed that the implementation of the basic food program went well, no serious obstacles were found and had a positive impact on beneficiary families.

Local Integration of Urban–Rural Social-assistance Programmes in China: What Are the Driving Forces?

AbstractThis study investigates what drives local variations when pursuing urban–rural equity in social welfare provision in China. We examine how internal features, top-down pressure and horizontal competition have shaped local governments’ decisions to adopt a policy that unifies (yitihua) the urban and rural eligibility thresholds of the world's largest means-tested cash transfer programme (dibao). We collected and coded policies that unify urban–rural dibao thresholds in 336 prefecture-level divisions between 2011 and 2019. Event history analysis showed that internal fiscal constraint – primarily cost concerns – drove local policy adoption; top-down pressure from provincial governments with a high degree of coercive power in policy directives exerted a significant impact; and the horizontal competition's effect was insignificant. Our findings indicate that fiscal arrangements and top-down policy directives from superior governments with higher coercive power are potent tools to accelerate the adoption of a social welfare policy that would otherwise be unappealing for local officials.

Dampak Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH) terhadap Peningkatan Kesejahteraan Keluarga Miskin di Kelurahan Kerasaan I Kecamatan Pematang Bandar Kabupaten Simalungun

The Family Hope Program (PKH) is a conditional cash transfer program for low-income families. The requirement is to be actively involved in education and health. The Family Hope Program in Indonesia was implemented in 2007 to alleviate poverty and prosper low-income families. This research and journal article aims to determine the impact of PKH on family welfare and see if there is a reduction in the poverty rate after the government realizes the Family Hope Program. This study uses a qualitative method with a descriptive approach. Collecting research data in the form of observations, interviews and documentation with PKH Facilitators and PKH beneficiary families (KPM) Kerasaan I Village, Pematang Bandar District, Simalungun Regency. The results of the study show that the impact of PKH on beneficiary families, including the cash provided, can meet family consumption or needs and help the economy of PKH beneficiary families. Program implementation can reduce poverty in Kerasaan I Village. The percentage of poor people in September 2021 was 0.14% and decreased in March 2022 to 0.02%. The limitation of the research is the impact of PKH on family welfare and wanting to examine whether there is a decrease in the percentage of poverty in Pematang Bandar District or more precisely in the Kerasaan I Village. The practical implication of this research is to provide information to the government that PKH can increase the welfare of low-income families. Its social meaning is to provide an overview to the government and the community that the implementation of social assistance programs, one of which is the Family Hope Program, can reduce the poverty rate in Kerasaan I Village, Pematang Bandar District. The purity of this research is supported by the Kerasaan I Kelurahan PKH Facilitator who helps the community get out of poverty through a family capacity building meeting program (P2K2) which is held every month.
 Keywords: Impact, Family Hope Program, Family Welfare. Kerasaan I Village

Impact of cash transfer on food accessibility and calorie-intake in Pakistan

ABSTRACT This paper evaluates the impact of unconditional cash transfers (UCT) on the indicators of food accessibility in the urban and rural areas of Pakistan. Previous empirical evidences show poor food security in the country; however, there is lack of literature on this investigation in the context of UCT specifically the highest coverage providing social assistance programme that is the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). Examining the impact on calorie intake can help policy makers understand how households spend this additional source of income and address effectively concerns regarding food security. Propensity score matching (PSM) technique is used to analyse the latest nationally representative data. Being a recipient of the UCT is found to be significant in explaining the outcome indicator of food accessibility. Disaggregation into food groups show that recipient households increase their consumption of calories from cereals and pulses, vegetables and sugary products. Although there is evidence to support the positive and significant effects of being a recipient, the effects are small. The results indicate that the households remain vulnerable due to the small amount of transfer.

Power Communication Actors Cash Social Support Program for Impacted COVID-19 Citizen

Government as an important body in the framework of governance. The government must pay attention to peace and public order, the demands and expectations as well as the opinions of the people, the needs and interests of the community, environmental influences, communication and coordination arrangements, the participation of all levels of society and the existence of legitimacy. This study aims to analyze actor relationships by analyzing aspects of social network analysis calculations such as actor popularity (degree), actor closeness to other actors (closeness), and which actor functions as a liaison between one actor and another (betweenness).The mix-method approach is used to answer the problem formulation. Data were obtained through interviews and collecting questionnaires from the actors involved in implementing the cash direct social assistance distribution program in Batu City. Data were analyzed through an interactive analysis model using an analytical tool using social network analysis. The results of this study indicate that each actor involved in implementing the social assistance distribution program for people affected by Covid-19 in Batu City has different networking patterns. The strategic actor in the implementation network for the distribution of social assistance programs for people affected by Covid-19 is the social service. Each actor has their own role, namely the Covid-19 task force unit acts as a program maker. By analyzing communication relationships through social network analysis by focusing on public actor communication, we can find out the actor's communication relationship in the Covid-19 social assistance program.

Collective action (still) matters: transformation of government social assistance mechanisms during the covid-19 pandemic

This paper analyzed the Makassar government's public policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, namely the social assistance program. In this study, the perspective of stakeholders is taken, in which in this study the community is the main stakeholder. In addition, there are also other stakeholders such as the Social Service, District, sub District, Social Assistance Assistants. This research will explain the implementation of social assistance policies in Mariso District, Makassar and how the community responds to this policy. In addition, in this study, there were protests carried out by social assistance recipient communities in Mariso District, Makassar as a form of disappointment with the implementation of the Social Assistance policy in Mariso District, which proved successful enough to put pressure on so that aspirations and input could be realized and the government evaluated social assistance programs. COVID-19. This research conduct qualitative methods with data collection techniques using interviews with informants, in this case are the stakeholders. This study also uses the Stakeholder Mapping theory which was popularized by Eden, Ackermann and Bryson. This study uses 3 analyzes in this theory, namely 1) Power versus interest grid, 2) Problem-frame stakeholders map and 3) Policy implementation mapping. The Power versus interest grid is used by researchers to see and analyze from the side of interest and power for the community as the main Stakeholder in this research. The Problem-frame stakeholders map is used by researchers to see how the conditions of stakeholders, in this case, are the community. How does the community solve problems in this social assistance program and what actions are taken by the community to solve these problems. Policy implementation mapping is used by researchers to describe the strategies carried out by the community to influence social assistance policies, especially in Mariso District, Makassar.

Do social assistance programs promote the use of clean cooking fuels? Evidence from China's new rural pension scheme

Government social assistance programs play a vital role in shaping household behaviors, from food purchases to human capital investments. Yet, little attention has been given to understanding the impacts of these programs on household energy choices. Drawing upon data from China's New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) – a cash transfer plan targeting rural seniors aged 60 and above – this study aims to shed light on how such a program affects the cooking fuel choices among beneficiaries. The results show that: (1) the NRPS promotes a shift from traditional biomass fuels to cleaner fuels, primarily driven by reduced firewood adoption and increased electricity usage; (2) the effects are stronger for lower-income households and the older age group (aged 70 and above); (3) enhancing household income and discouraging farm work participation are possible mechanisms through which pension coverage influences fuel choices. Overall, these findings highlight the effectiveness of social assistance programs in improving resident well-being and facilitating energy transitions in rural areas.

Dampak Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH) terhadap Peningkatan Kesejahteraan Keluarga Miskin di Kelurahan Kerasaan I Kecamatan Pematang Bandar Kabupaten Simalungun

The Family Hope Program (PKH) is a conditional cash transfer program for low-income families. The requirement is to be actively involved in education and health. The Family Hope Program in Indonesia was implemented in 2007 to alleviate poverty and prosper low-income families. This research and journal article aims to determine the impact of PKH on family welfare and see if there is a reduction in the poverty rate after the government realizes the Family Hope Program. This study uses a qualitative method with a descriptive approach. Collecting research data in the form of observations, interviews and documentation with PKH Facilitators and PKH beneficiary families (KPM) Kerasaan I Village, Pematang Bandar District, Simalungun Regency. The results of the study show that the impact of PKH on beneficiary families, including the cash provided, can meet family consumption or needs and help the economy of PKH beneficiary families. Program implementation can reduce poverty in Kerasaan I Village. The percentage of poor people in September 2021 was 0.14% and decreased in March 2022 to 0.02%. The limitation of the research is the impact of PKH on family welfare and wanting to examine whether there is a decrease in the percentage of poverty in Pematang Bandar District or more precisely in the Kerasaan I Village. The practical implication of this research is to provide information to the government that PKH can increase the welfare of low-income families. Its social meaning is to provide an overview to the government and the community that the implementation of social assistance programs, one of which is the Family Hope Program, can reduce the poverty rate in Kerasaan I Village, Pematang Bandar District. The purity of this research is supported by the Kerasaan I Kelurahan PKH Facilitator who helps the community get out of poverty through a family capacity building meeting program (P2K2) which is held every month.
 Keywords: Impact, Family Hope Program, Family Welfare. Kerasaan I Village

Implementation of social assistance policy for communities affected by the covid-19 pandemic in DKI Jakarta Province

The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted health and the economy, leading many countries, including Indonesia, to launch social protection programs to mitigate the negative effects of the crisis. This research employs a qualitative research method with purposive sampling in selecting informants. Data analysis is conducted using the Miles and Huberman method, supported by the Nvivo 12 application. The research findings indicate that the implementation of social assistance policies for communities affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in DKI Jakarta Province involves two main aspects: policy content and policy implementation context. The policy content aspect encompasses factors such as influencing interests, types of benefits provided to the community, the expected extent of change, the roles of policymakers, the implementation of social assistance programs, and the limitations of available resources. On the other hand, the policy implementation context aspect includes power, interests, and strategies of the actors involved, the characteristics of institutions and authorities distributing social assistance, as well as the compliance levels and responses from policy implementers.

The Impact of Economic Conditions on Social Assistance Programs and Poverty Alleviation

Poverty remains a pervasive global challenge, necessitating effective policy interventions to uplift vulnerable populations. This research delves into the dynamic relationship between social assistance programs and poverty alleviation. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we investigate the impact of these programs on poverty rates, program effectiveness variations, demographic disparities, and the interplay with economic conditions. Our findings offer compelling insights. Firstly, social assistance programs exhibit a statistically significant reduction in poverty rates among beneficiaries, confirming their vital role in poverty alleviation. Moreover, variations in program effectiveness emerge, with cash transfer programs demonstrating immediate impact compared to in-kind assistance programs. Demographic differences further shape program outcomes, as programs targeting children and single-parent households exhibit pronounced effects on poverty reduction. Economic conditions also matter, as these programs prove more effective during periods of robust economic growth, serving as vital safety nets during economic downturns. Conditional social assistance programs demonstrate promise by incentivizing positive behaviors such as education enrollment and healthcare utilization. These findings hold significant policy implications, emphasizing the need for evidence-based program design and implementation. This research concludes with a call for comprehensive approaches to poverty alleviation, considering demographic variations, economic contexts, and the potential benefits of conditional programs. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are pivotal in adapting programs to evolving circumstances, thus contributing to a more equitable and prosperous society.

Conflicting Choices: Lump Sum Transfer or Periodic Cash Transfer. Evidence from Sindh, Pakistan

Evaluating the long-term impacts of social assistance programs is usually not possible as pure control groups dissolve into treated ones. This paper makes use of data where the treated and control groups remained mostly unmarred. We examine two types of Pakistani social assistance i.e., lump sum transfer (LST) versus unconditional cash transfer (UCT) and determine which is more effective in enhancing household income after a decade. The UCT has continued over time thus enabling us to see if there is any cumulative effect of this in comparison to the onetime LST received to the treatment group. The setup of initial randomization of beneficiaries to treatment and control status has not received any form of researcher intervention and thus continues to induce random variation. For evaluation, a cross-sectional survey is conducted in a district of the Sindh province of Pakistan. Propensity Score Matching is employed across recipient and control households to evaluate the treatment effects. The matching is done for households receiving LST and UCT and also between LST and non-recipients of any assistance. The empirical analysis suggests that the LST permanently increases the total household income. The difference in the household incomes of LST and UCT recipients, in the long run, is large and significant. The same is true for LST recipients and non-recipients of any form of assistance. Sensitivity analysis indicates no hidden bias. Considering limited fiscal space availability, understanding which type of social assistance can be more effective for social mobility, is an important public policy decision.

Socio-economic Status and Social Protection of Baguio Cemetery Contractors and Workers: Inputs for Interventions

The study examines the socioeconomic status and social protection of Baguio City Cemetery Workers, as well as their knowledge of cemetery policies. It utilized a descriptive-quantitative design, primarily using a survey questionnaire. The findings indicate that the cemetery workers in Baguio City have a partial level of satisfaction with social assistance programs. They have limited awareness of social insurance programs and labor market programs provided by the government. Additionally, their knowledge regarding policies governing cemeteries is considered moderate. Based on the study's results, it is recommended to enhance the awareness and comprehension of Baguio City cemetery workers regarding the government's social protection programs through orientation sessions. Furthermore, there is a need to expand the coverage of social protection programs to include low-income informal sector workers.

COVID-19 and food security risk in Nkambe Cameroon: perceptions, drivers and household response measures.

This study focuses on COVID-19 and food security risk, capturing perceptions, drivers and household response measures. Using a mixed research design, the researchers investigated food security risk in Nkambe Cameroon during peak periods of COVID-19. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire distributed to 400 respondents and key informant interviews, and it was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed significant differences in the food security dynamics among COVID-19-infected and non-infected households (19% and 33%, respectively, p = 0.002), with non-infected households being more food secure than COVID-19-infected ones. Significant positive effects between variables, like age of respondent, household size, level of education and food security of affected households were identified. The regression model explains 82.8% of the food security determinants in the midst of COVID-19's peak period. Both COVID-19-infected and non-infected households responded to food insecurity through food rationing and consumption frequency rationing, instead of reducing food consumption frequency. The researchers recommend increasing the efficacy of safety nets and other social assistance programmes in the face of shocks by targeting households most vulnerable to COVID-19-induced food insecurity. Expanding this research agenda to other study sites with a gender lense can provide insights for food security policies post COVID-19.

Venezuelan Migration: Peruvian And Ecuadorian Case

Venezuelan migrants access social assistance, social security and labor market programs with the intention of improving their level of life opportunities, within the framework of social inclusion and protection.
 The migratory process of Venezuelans to Ecuador and Peru affects the socioeconomic conditions and distribution of benefits within a territory, causing in some cases the denial of access to services.
 The methodology used is to carry out a questionnaire to Venezuelan migrants who are in Peru: in Trujillo and Tumbes and in Ecuador: in Huaquillas and Guayaquil, carrying out a comparative study and after that, processing the information, tabulating it, analyzing it and preparing the final report.
 As Social Workers, it is important to know the social programs and institutions that support Venezuelan migrants in Ecuador and Peru, determining that there is inclusion, protection and non-discrimination.

‘We should not have to choose between hunger and death’: exploring the experiences of primary caregivers of recipients of a South African child cash transfer programme during COVID-19 lockdown in Cape Town, South Africa

Background:The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa and across the globe posed special challenges and implications for low-income families with children. In this study we explored the experiences of primary caregivers of children receiving a South African social assistance programme, the Child Support Grant (CSG), during lockdown in Cape Town, South Africa, and sought to understand whether and to what extent the underlying logic of cash transfers such as the CSG speaks to the pitfalls of the social protection paradigm and the potential for moving closer to a transformative social policy approach. Methods:We conducted 26 telephonic qualitative interviews with primary caregivers of recipients of South Africa’s CSG that were part of a longitudinal cohort study assessing the impact of the CSG on child nutritional status and food security. Results:Even though primary caregivers of the CSG and their children and households were already living in precarity before the pandemic, COVID-19, and particularly the hard lockdown, worsened their social, economic and living conditions, especially as regards hunger and food insecurity. Conclusion:Low-income women bore the brunt of the pandemic in their roles as mothers, providers and homemakers. The pandemic has highlighted the inadequacies of the social protection paradigm that underlies the design of cash transfers such as the CSG, which has a narrowed focus on chronic poverty and vulnerability. It has also highlighted opportunities to shift to a transformative social policy framework that incorporates production, redistribution, social cohesion, adequacy and protection.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on subjective wellbeing in the Middle East and North Africa: A gender analysis.

The pathways through which the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted population mental health are potentially gendered. Little research has explored these pathways in low- and middle-income country contexts, such as in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where socioeconomic roles are highly gendered. To address this gap, we examine the relationships between pandemic-related socioeconomic changes and subjective wellbeing in the MENA region. Our core hypothesis is that the COVID-19 pandemic affected men and women's subjective wellbeing differently in part because these effects were mediated by gendered socioeconomic roles. We exploit multiple waves of longitudinal, nationally-representative phone survey data across Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia. The data were collected between November 2020 and August 2021 and include 32,296 observations of 20,256 unique individuals. Mental health is measured through the WHO-5 subjective wellbeing scale. Our key independent variables capture pandemic-related employment loss, income loss, experience of limitations on food access, enrollment of children in alternative schooling modalities, and receipt of formal and informal transfers. We find significantly worse subjective wellbeing for women in Egypt and Morocco during the pandemic, but not the three other countries. There were negative associations between employment and income loss during the pandemic and subjective wellbeing, but not gender-differentiated ones. In contrast, high levels of limitations on food access were associated with worse mental health for men than women. Receipt of transfers generally did not have any association with subjective wellbeing. Further research is needed into how social assistance programs implemented in response to pandemics may be designed so as to address the negative mental health consequences of such events.

Implementation of the Naive Bayes and Simple Additive Weighting Methods in the Feasibility Selection of Village Cash Assistance Recipients

Village Fund Direct Cash Assistance (VF-DCA) is a direct cash assistance policy in which funds come from the village. The VF-DCA policy is expected to ease the burden on the community, especially those with a low economy. Still, it is undeniable that there are opportunities for misuse of village funds by some VF-DCA organizers, intentionally or unintentionally. Problems that arise in implementing VF-DCA are mistakes in determining the beneficiary communities that are not on target so that the impact of VF can be manipulated for the interests of certain groups in several cases of social assistance programs. The solution to these problems is that this research creates a decision support system in selecting the eligibility of assistance recipients. This research used the Naïve Bayes (NB) method in selecting VF-DCA recipients and the Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) way to determine the order of eligibility scores for each candidate for VF-DCA recipients. In this study, the results of the classification process using the NB method obtained an accuracy rate of 99.36%. Hence, this is simplified in determining potential recipients of VF-DCA using the NB and SAW methods

Social cash assistance for food security during a disaster: lesson learned from Indonesia

There was a change in the environment and food security threat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries, including Indonesia, are forced to allocate funds to reduce the risk of this disaster. The Government Republic of Indonesia, through the Ministry of Social Affairs, has launched a Social Cash Assistance Program for 10 million families affected by COVID-19. This study aims to identify how families affected by COVID-19 take advantage of this social cash assistance. The study was conducted on the beneficiaries of social assistance, in cash transfer of IDR 600,000 (USD 40), per month, for three months. This study involved 2290 beneficiaries as respondents spread across 12 provinces. The sampling technique was the Cohen Manion Morrison Table by proportional stratified random sampling. The findings show that (1) 99% of cash assistance is used for basic needs, especially for food, and (2) cash assistance could be used for basic needs for around two to three weeks, thereby strengthening food security. Recommendations are submitted based on the results of this study related to social cash assistance and food security. The first is that this assistance still needs to be continued until the COVID-19 pandemic is over. It is to help families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic meet their daily needs. Second, most respondents do not have a fixed income during the pandemic, so providing capital and business startups are needed to increase family income sustainably to maintain food security.