Districts with Elderly Grants see reduced poverty levels

Districts with Elderly grants see reduced poverty levels

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Districts that received grants from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development have seen a drop in poverty levels, according to a recent analysis by Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS).

While poverty levels in districts have generally gone up, the study notes that districts which have been receiving monthly grants of Shs25000 under the ministry’s Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE), have seen poverty levels decline. Some of the districts include; Amudat, Apac, Kaberamaido, Katakwi, Kiboga, Kole, Kyankwanzi, Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo, Moroto, Nakapiripirit, Napak, Nebbi, Zombo, Yumbe etc with over 154,000 beneficiaries.

The grant targets the elderly and other vulnerable people. In what can be seen as the most significant contribution of SAGE to growth and development yet, analysis of the UBOS household survey 2016/17 established that poverty increased across the country from 19.7 per cent in 2013 to 21.4 percent in 2016—an increase of 1.7 per cent.

However, in SAGE districts the story was different with poverty rates falling from 31.1 per cent to 30.8 per cent—a drop of 0.3 per cent. In 15 non-SAGE benefiting districts with similar socio-economic characteristics as the 15 SAGE benefitting districts, the poverty rates in non-SAGE benefiting districts increased from 21.7 per cent to 23.5 per cent—an increase of 1.8 per cent. SAGE is run under the Expanding Social Protection Programme by the government of Uganda through Ministry of Gender and supported by UK and Irish Aid.