Social protection transfers for chronically poor people

In response to the question why large-scale social protection transfers are needed, this policy brief argues that social protection is vital to help chronically poor people and countries build assets, increase their capacity to withstand shocks and stresses, and thus escape from poverty; without it, they will continue to be trapped in poverty. It argues that well-designed and resourced programmes can:

• stop shocks and stresses pushing people (further) into poverty
• help poor people build assets
• protect and promote the well-being and capacities of people who are currently poor
• contribute to challenging and transforming inequitable social relationships that keep people in poverty
• contribute to reducing inequality

This brief outlines the key elements of an effective ‘social protection package’ for chronically poor people as: a core of broad measures to enhance incomes assets and security and increase access to services, and specific measures, such as nutritional support targeted at particular groups. Wider complementary policies promoting economic opportunities and political and social rights are also essential.

The author argues that greater efforts are needed to integrate social protection with other anti-poverty policies. It is noted that in many countries, social protection is a series of discrete programmes that are insufficiently linked to each other or to broader anti-poverty action. The author argues that this is a missed opportunity to maximise poverty reduction gains. Finally, it is argued that social protection can reach more chronically poor people by investing in outreach activities, eliminating conditions that exclude the poorest and reducing the costs of accessing entitlements.