Social Safety Net Programs (SSNPs) in Improving Quality of Life of Older Poor People in Rural Bangladesh: Old-Aged Allowances (OAA) Program Context

This study examines the effects of the ‘old age allowance program’ as a social safety net initiative aimed at ‎enhancing the quality of life for vulnerable elderly individuals in rural Bangladesh, focusing on their basic needs ‎‎(e.g., food, health, and clothing) and self-esteem and dignity. It is a mixed-methods research, which has ‎assimilated the primary and secondary data, and endeavoured to draw a picture of the program beneficiaries in a ‎union. Data were derived from program beneficiaries, non-beneficiaries who want to benefit from the program, ‎key important persons related to the program, and the masses of the union. Data has been collected through ‎surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions (FGD) with the respondents by using ‎questionnaires and FGD schedules. The findings show that the OAA program allowances have a positive effect ‎on fulfilling the basic needs (e.g., food, clothes, medicine) of the ‘elderly beneficiaries’ of the program, and as a ‎result, their status in the family and society has been enhanced. However, irregularities and weaknesses, e.g., ‎corruption, nepotism, voting politics, and irregularities in enrolment, are creating obstacles to implementing the ‎program and enhancing the quality of life of poor elderly people in rural areas. The findings encourage to ‎depiction of some recommendations which will give support to individuals related to this field