Access to social safety -net programmes Safety-net programmes are an important component of the government’s social protection strategy. However, coverage is very low among the disabled extreme poor, which is surprising given their usual levels of vulnerability. The present study findings indicate that only 31 percent of disabled household heads were receiving government safety nets meaning that a significant percent of people with disability are excluded from of government safety nets.
Figure 3: Safety net programmes accessed by the disabled extreme poor
Vulnerable Group Development (VGD)program 13%
Other benefits (such as cash for work or old age allowance) 4%
Vulnerable Group Feeding Program 4%
Disability Allowance 54%
Widow/Abandon ment allowance 25%
It was also found that 54 percent of the disabled people who received social safety net benefits were getting disability allowances, while 25 percent were receiving widow or abandonment allowances and 20 percent are enrolled in the Vulnerable Group Development and Vulnerable Group Feeding programmes. Occupation before intervention Baseline data shows that out of 457 disabled household heads, 30 percent (137) were not engaged with any income generating activities before the intervention due to their disability. Another 20 percent of household heads solely relied on begging. However, 50 percent of disabled household heads were working as wage labourers (agriculture and other day labour), fishermen, transport workers (such as van pullers) and housemaids. In the qualitative sample the working status of respondents who were engaged with income generating work before the Save the Children International intervention varied with disability. For example, respondents with physical difficulties tended to engage in small businesses while people with learning difficulties tended to work as wage labourers. We interviewed two beneficiaries with visual difficulties and found that before the intervention both of them used to beg while singing, although one also had mat weaving skills. One respondent with physical difficulties had skills to carry out tailoring. 19