YILDIRIM BEYAZIT UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL of SOCIAL SCIENCES

POVERTY and SOCIAL POLICY

POVERTY ALLEVIATION and SOCIAL ASSISTANCE

PreparedBy:

Mansur Boydaş

Submitted To:

Prof. Dr. Erdal Tanas Karagöl

January 2013

Abstract

The significance of poverty has increased in both world and Turkey. The numbers of those

who stand in the need of help dramatically increased due to globalization. As a result social

assistance has also become substantial. Social assistance completes the gaps in social security

system and it has saving purpose and some psycho-social benefits. Notably, social assistance

can also be seen as that it has been done as human rights, the product of a social solidarity and

the obligation of a state. This study analyses how social assistance employed in alleviating

poverty through its functions.

1. Introduction

Historically, poverty is not a new problem. In every period of history, there has been poverty

in every country. Poverty is an unwanted characteristic of any civilization, and its alleviation

is regarded as a vital purpose of the government and interconnected institutions. Economic

growth did not finish poverty as thought before. According to World Development Report

(2001) even though it was historically believed that economical growth is the key factor for

the reduction of poverty, there are still 2.8 billion people who live on less than 2 $ income per

day and 1.2 billion people live on less than 1$ income per day in the world. Today, poverty is

regarded as a worldwide economical and social fact due to its unmanageable growth in

breaking of the immediate growth of liberal capital accumulation and analytically supported

economical progress. Therefore countries in the world try to implement unlike social policies

to deal with poverty that are directed through established institutions. In the modern times one

of the major tools for dealing with poverty is social assistance. Social assistance is one of the

ordinary handy ways of building social balance in society by protecting the poor. By the

establishment of social assistance system, most of the states struggle to increase the living

conditions of the citizens with respect to their current situation by supplying in-kind or in cash

transfers. Hence, these aids are given in order to sustain the minimum welfare in society. The

purpose of this study is to show how well the social assistance fulfills this role. The ideal is

that if all social assistances were discarded there would be a noticeable level of poverty, but

when the social assistances are considered as part of household income, poverty is greatly

reduced.

The structure of the study continues as literature review in second part, conceptual frame of

poverty in part three, conceptual frame of social assistance and relation with poverty in part

four, welfare state analysis in Turkey in part five, social assistance structure in Turkey in part

six and in part seven the effects of social assistance on beneficiaries are analyzed.

2. Literature Review

The two major study fields in this research are poverty and social assistance. Examining the

literature of the existing studies, it is important to point out the fact that researches on social

assistance in Turkey focus more on the institutions’ distribution structure of six social

assistances while there are very limited number of researches on the consequences and effects

of these assistances on the lives of beneficiaries. Alternatively, studies related to poverty in

Turkey generally emerge on institutional reports of State Planning Organization (DPT),

General Directorate of Social Assistance and Solidarity (SYDV), Turkish Statistical Institute

(TÜİK) and researches of World Bank (WB) and United Nations Development Programme

(UNDP) in Turkey. Other researches on poverty in Turkey also exist in the literature, but

these are more focusing on the structural and the theoretical analysis of poverty most at the

hypothetical level. So, it would not be deceptive to admit that there are limited resources on

the issue in general. Another concept that used in the research is the concept of welfare state.

The concept of welfare state is important for the study finding the effects of social assistance

on poverty alleviation. The basic theoretical framework of the study can be said to be shaped

by UNDP and WB conceptualizations of poverty. The complete bibliography of this study is

accessible at the end of the study.

3. Conceptual Frame of Poverty

Generally poverty means not being capable of supply basic human need so as to survive. Yet,

feature of formation changes due to social, environmental, economical conditions such as, the

meaning of basic human needs varies from country to country or people to people.

Furthermore, concept of basic need has a strong interrelation with growth. As the general

public develops, basic human needs turn out to be more complex, such as being unable to

reach education and health organizations which were not signs of poverty fifty years ago.

Accordingly, poverty wraps various diverse autonomous aspects that modify the meaning of

concept. As conditions change, the meaning of poverty also changes. Poverty was considered

as ‘incapable of work ’ in the 16th century of England. As the population of poor increased

though time the concept of poverty accepted as a social experience. Bauman mentions in his

book that today poverty is measured by consumption which shows another aspect for poverty

(Bauman, 1999). As a result, in modern era, poverty is regarded as a social matter. Nuance of

poverty may vary concerning developments in welfare level of country. So, with the intention

of deciding who is poor in the public or comparing different poverty conditions needs

empirical measuring concept. There are mainly two approaches which are absolute poverty

and relative poverty. According to TUIK (Turkish Statistical Institute), the absolute poverty is

the situation in which a household or an individual cannot reach the welfare sufficient to

continue their lives. On the other hand, the relative poverty is the state in which the individual

is below the average welfare level of the society. Absolute poverty connects with minimum

needs of the individuals and since the needs of individual change day by day, absolute poverty

may differ from generations to generations. Though, in a report, WB addresses that an

individual needs minimum 2400 kcal per a day in order to survive. According to WB, who

cannot afford to buy 2400 kcal are in absolute poverty. Furthermore, DPT states that for

underdeveloped countries, 1$ per person /day is accepted as an indicator of absolute poverty.

Relative poverty deems average welfare level of civilization. Level of income is considered

determining the level of the individual or household welfare. Therefore, whilst measuring the

relative poverty, income inequality in a given society becomes apparent. In other words, the

lower income inequality you have, the lower relative poverty will be resulted.

4. Conceptual Frame of Social Assistance

Social assistance exists under different names since the first ages of history. However, the

existence of the term ‘social assistance’ even not known for certain is the product of the era of

industrialization. Karataş states that in this respect the modern sense of social assistance

regained functionality in the process of industrialization especially in the process of re-

distribution of income. Fundamental objective of the social assistance system is to alter the

condition of being in need of something and help recipient to become a self-sufficient.

Accordingly, Taşçı (2010) states that what is expected from social assistance recipient are to

become a producer that taking care himself.

Nevertheless, social assistance was designed to focus on the vulnerable groups in the society

and the system is financed with tax. Social assistance system could be considered as poverty

relieving strategy. Furthermore, social assistance strives to reduce economic cost burden on

the poor. The first classification of poor and social assistance was recognized with 1601, Old

Poor Law. In relation to this law, people who are able to work are not poor but idle. In

contrast, people who are unable to work are poor. Conceptual meaning of social assistance

may also vary; in USA it is ‘safety net’ and in Europe it is welfare strategies. The difference is

appeared to be the product of various applications in social assistance.

There is conditional and unconditional social assistance. Conditional is mainly cash transfer to

poor households on the condition that those households make predetermined investments in

the human capital of their children. “Health and nutrition conditions generally require periodic

checkups, growth monitoring, and vaccinations for children less than 5 years of age; perinatal

care for mothers and attendance by mothers at periodic health information talks” (Fiszbein,

Schady, 2009). Unconditional social assistances are provided with no compensation or

stipulation because main purpose of unconditional social transfer is to dispose of economical

disadvantages.

4.1 Relation with Poverty

When social assistance mentioned the well-known concept “poverty” comes to mind. İkizoğlu

believes that indeed, the concept of social assistance, in general, because of the process to

help the poor people in cash or ocular, reminds of poverty and poor people. In other words,

the main determinant of needing social assistance services is poverty. In this sense, social

assistance is characterized as the modern state is perceived as a requirement of the poorest

segments of the protective direction, social responsibility, and generally poor programs. On

the other hand, when compared the literature's use of poverty is newer than social assistance.

Koşar states that poverty is expressed as almost does not exist in books about social issues in

the period before 1960, there is not much about the social welfare in the literature of

sociology, except for some of the books and the literary world. Therefore, the concept of

poverty is very new, the history of meaning implied in today's concept of poverty can be met,

said the concept of social assistance. Poverty is considered, in general, things that come to

mind, however, anti-wealth that the misery of poverty, hunger, poverty, neediness, life of

constant struggle, the battle to survive, enough to meet the needs of basic and essential, with a

lack of sufficient assets, earnings-are states of being deprived of income. In other words,

poverty may be the common denominator of all those who are in need of help.

5.0 Poverty and Welfare State in Turkey

Welfare state is like a new pact in capitalist regime between state and citizens that social risks

were knobbed by state in counter to individual duties to state. As for the origin, social effects

of Great Depression in 1929 enforced state to take some safety measures such as social

transfer in opposition to severe poverty circumstances, illiteracy and poor health. One of the

functions of welfare state is caring individuals from social risks like poverty.

Human development index (Apaydın, 2011) pointers that states ranked in the course of their

life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living measures, Turkey is ranked in 83

amongst 169 states. The pointers of demography are a vital criterion for mapping poverty.

From the statistics of TUIK (2011) Turkish population is about to reach to 74 million in 2011

and 77% of its population lives in urban areas whereas 23% of population lives in rural.

Statistics divulge that Turkey has a young civilization that half of its population is under 30

years demonstrating the similar feature of the developing countries. As a member of UNDP

Millennium Development Goals in 2000, Turkey published a report on behalf of its provision.

The report reveals that poverty has decreased slightly in two decades in Turkey.

Retrieved From: Turkey Millennium Development Goals Report, State Planning Organization-2010

Clearly obstructed from the figure that food and non- food poverty was %28.3 in 1994 and

decreased to %17.1 in 2008. Likewise, food poverty decreased from 2.9% to 0.54 %

from1994 to 2008. Furthermore, extreme poverty, which indicates people live on less than 1

dollar per day, abolished by the year 2006. These pointers show that Turkey almost attained

its first target in millennium development goal which is halving the proportion of extreme

poverty. Nevertheless, food and non-food poverty increased to 18% as a product of the global

economical crisis in year 2009.

Table 1: Rates of Poor Individuals in Turkey

Retrieved From: TUIK (2009)

Table reveals that Turkey does not suffer from extreme poverty but rather suffer from relative

poverty. From the table extreme poverty can be understood by the ratio under the below 1$,

2.15 $ and 4.3 $ population that are decreasing regularly since 2002. On the other hand,

relative poverty based on expenditure almost settled constant through the same years. Income

distribution is another important determinant of poverty provision. The table below illustrates

broad information about the income distribution of Turkey.

Table 2: Distribution of Annual Personal Disposable Income by Quantiles of Household Population %

Retrieved From: Turkey Millennium Development Goals Report, State Planning Organization-2010

As it is clear from the table, there is a variation in Gini Coefficient in years representing the

uneven distribution of income in society. It dropped from 0.49 in 1994 to 0.38 in 2005. There

is enormous disparity in shares of income between the rich and poor in society such as; in

2007, the lowest %20 of the population shares % 5.8 of whole income whereas richest %20 of

the population shares the % 46.9 of whole income.

There have been turning points in the social welfare system. Splintered formation of social

security system was an apparent indicator of traditional welfare system in Turkey. This

fragmentation was based on occupation status. Furthermore, social security system principally

covers only formal work and disregards the majority of unregistered.

There is a fairly new debate of ‘new poverty’ in welfare transformation of Turkey particularly

after 2000. Essentially, new poverty refers to disintegration of poor into society, especially

into urban way of life. The term comes from rural declaration that Turkey practiced. Buğra

states that new poverty is a product of conditions that for the most part destroy the probability

of being integrated into urban. As a result, it is stated that this is a new form of poverty that is

enduring caused by disintegration of poor in to society.

Another watershed of Turkish Welfare State was practiced with Justice and Development

Party (AKP) regime after 2002. Conservative liberal ideology was the reference of AKP

government. Their ideology based on the partial interference of the state both in economic and

social scope. As said by this ideology, state should adjust and control them for creating equal

competition. The legacy of Özal government of charity and family institutions is also utilized

by the AKP governments.

Whereas, Buğra (2008) states that with AKP government perception of social right has

aroused. In addition Turkey experienced a very severe economic crisis that exposed severe

poverty. Besides, old-fashioned social balancing and risk management mechanisms like

family were not capable of dealing with this problem. Consequently, government took some

protections for poverty alleviation (Buğra, 2008). One of the indicators of this alleviation

process is dramatic escalation in distribution of coal and food assistance to poor.

To sum up, it could be said that the welfare state came into agenda with the 1961 constitution.

Before this time state tried to attain its economic alteration and left social risks within family

and charity organizations. In 1980’s, Turkey practiced liberalization process that liberal

conservative government established new institutions dealing with social issues. Though,

family institution and charity were still very significant and conversion of welfare state was

authenticated under this ideology. The determination of the government was to decrease the

social expenditures.

6. Social Assistance Structure in Turkey

In this part of the study, structure of social assistance in Turkey is going to be designated

briefly. It will be focused on the central structure of the social assistance providing institutions

such as SYDGM and on the family aids which are usually under control of Social Assistance

and Solidarity Foundations (SYDV). Other social assistance providing institutions such as

SHÇEH will also be introduced.

6.1 Social Assistance Instructions in Turkey

6.1.1 Social Assistance Categories by Social Assistance and Solidarity Fund

Predominantly social assistance comes from Social Assistance and Solidarity Fund that was

established in 1986. Ultimately, this fund is used by all state social assistance institutions like

SYDGM and SHÇEK.

6.1.2 General Directorate of Social Assistance and Solidarity

There are several institutions providing social assistance in Turkey such as SHÇEK,

Municipalities. Though, this study will focus on the General Directorate of Social Assistance

and Solidarity and its local administrations (SYDV) since they are central organization for

distributing social assistance in Turkey. The law 5263 established in 2004, General

Directorate of Social Assistance and Solidarity is appointed as main social assistance

providing institution in Turkey. Furthermore, it was mentioned in the 2006-2010 state action

plans, established by State Planning Organization (DPT), that General Directorate of Social

Assistance and Solidarity will have a central role on poverty alleviation policies.

Objectives of General Directorate of Social Assistance and Solidarity designated as follows;

“It is aimed to reach existing social assistance programs to citizens who have economic and social

deprivation in a more efficient and faster way by restructuring of Fund administration as a General

Directorate. Social Assistance and Solidarity General Directorate as State's most important social

assistance and protection agency; fulfills states social responsibility throughout the country by

helping to citizens who do not have social security , orphaned and needy and also by supporting

employment-oriented training and projects.”

6.1.3 Social Assistance in Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation

Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundations (SYDV) are controlled by General Directorate

of Social Assistance and Solidarity and spread all around the Turkey, including rural and

urban regions, with over 950 local administration. These local institutions are providing social

assistances with respect to the policies that are produced by central government. SYDV are

using the Social Assistance and Solidarity Fund, each foundation receive resources from this

fund. There are also some voluntary contributions from rich individuals. However, the amount

of resource received from SASF is highly dependent on development rankings established by

State Planning Organization. Also the population of the province, unemployment rates, and

contribution to GDP are taken into account at the same time. There are different sorts of social

assistances distributed by SYDV. These include family assistances, health assistances and

education assistances.

6.1.4 Application to Social Assistance

The main obligation for being a social assistance beneficiary is not to be protected by any

social security schema. Another vital standard is evaluation of being indigence. Though, there

is no real clarification of being indigence in Turkey, since cost of living cannot be simply

measured and the term, cost of living, is extremely subjective. Social assistances delivered by

SYDV are based on self-application. When the people apply for social assistance from

SYDV, their personal data is checked over Social Assistance Information System (SOYBIS).

Purpose of this information system is the validation of social assistance applications. With

this, misuse of social assistance is tried to be prohibited and fair supply process to be attained.

Nevertheless, what if they have something and they are still indigent or they lie about their

living condition? Accordingly, there is another control mechanism that individuals are being

observed by SYDV staff at their house that is called home visit. Once applicant meet the

basics for applying social assistance on Social Assistance Information System, SYDV check

their data and send staff for seeing the living condition of applicant. After observation

procedure, SYDV staff writes a report on his observation at applicant house and send report to

the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Solidarity. If these institutions approve the

report, applicant becomes a beneficiary of social assistance.

6.1.5 Types of Social Assistances Provided by SYDV

6.1.5.1 Family Assistances

The purpose of this assistance is to improve the living standards of the families. It consists of

food aids, heating aids, sheltering aids and cash aids.

Table 3. Family Aids distributed by SYDV

Retrieved from: General Directorate of Social Assistance and Solidarity annual report 2010

Food aids

It is clear from the table that within three years period General Directorate of Social

Assistance and Solidarity allocated its 92 million TL to food aid in total. These aids can be in

cash transfer or in-kind transfers for meeting the basic needs of poor. If it is cash transfer,

individuals are given cheque twice a year. These cheques are valid only in some of the

markets. Furthermore, food beneficiaries are free to buy any food from these markets. Food

aids are distributed via SYDV and they control the type of aids whether it should be in kind or

in cash transfer.

Heating Aids

Another vital family assistance is coal aids which are delivered from Turkish Coal Company

and distributed by SYDV. Each social assistance beneficiary family is given 500 kg coals per

year. Disbursements in delivery procedure are covered by Social Assistance and Solidarity

Fund.

Sheltering Aids

Sheltering aids are available to those who are living under unsuitable and morbid living

conditions in terms of sheltering. This type of assistance might be in-kind or in cash, however,

compared to food assistance and heating assistance, it has low beneficiary. This might be

related to expensive cost of housing and its improvement issues. This type of assistance is

also dispersed by SYDV.

Cash Transfers

Cash transfers are more commonly given periodically. The amount of money transferred to

poor is highly depended on a formula which basically calculates variables such as population,

unemployment rates etc. The main purpose of this aid is to improve the well-being of

individual and inspire them to take care of themselves. Generally, periodical cash transfers are

given for crucial conditions or high poverty conditions.

6.1.5.2 Health Assistance

People with no health insurance and Green Card are given this kind of assistance to cover

their health expenses. Though, payments given people with green cards are under control of

ministry of health since 2005. While this assistance is generally in cash, there are also in-kind

payments such as disabled citizens getting their wheelchairs, hearing aid and prosthesis via

this assistance. This sort of social assistance is used for reducing child death rates and child

disease. Consequently, state implemented conditional health assistance since 2003. These

transfers are dispersed in cash. The purpose of conditional health assistance is controlling the

health of child and mother. Therefore, payments are given in condition of child health

checkups. Moreover, payments are given to mother of children.

6.1.5.3 Education Supports

Great amount of resources allocated for education support from Social Assistance and

Solidarity Fund. These transfers are; training materials, education credits, sheltering,

transportation aids and conditional education aids. The main purpose of these assistances is to

increase the education level and supporting parity of opportunity. Conditional cash transfer is

one of the periodical transfers of SYDV. Recipients are expected to send their children to

school regularly and child checkup should be made in hospital. When these requirements are

met, SYDV transfers social assistance to mother of child. One of the most important matters

in this transfer is positive discrimination. Almost one million girls in preschool age cannot go

to school as a consequence of the gender breach. Therefore, with this conditional cash

transfer, parent of girls are given higher amount of money than boys (25 TL for each Girls /

20 TL for each Boys) for lessening the gender breach and inspiring families to send their girl

to school. These transfers are made one in two months and transfer continues until child

graduates from secondary school.

6.1.6 Social Services and Childcare Organization (SHÇEK)

SHÇEK is governed by the prime minister. In a historical fashion, it dates back to Ottoman

Empire. In modern era, SHÇEK started to distribute in-kind and in cash transfers with 1983

regulations. Generally, the purpose of this institution is to provide welfare for poor child and

their families. The institute offers several assistances such as; orphanages, elderly services,

cash transfers and family support.

6.1.7 Municipalities

The law no 5272 defines the purposes of municipalities that social assistances can be provided

by municipalities. The main purpose of this application is to build a protection for indigent

families. Several kind of social assistances are provided through municipalities such as; food

aids, heating aids, clothing, scholarship and health. Though, these are local assistances and the

type or amount of transfers can vary from zone to zone. It should be stated here that, in the

field research, municipality transfers were very extensive. Practically, all of the SYDV social

assistance beneficiaries were also benefiting from municipality assistances. Though,

measuring the effect of this aid is difficult because there is lack of joined and detailed

accounts of the system.

7. Effects of Social Assistance on Beneficiaries

In this part of the study, analysis of the field research data prepared by Apaydın in his thesis is

going to be deduced through theoretical background aforementioned. In his research Apaydın

interviewed with twenty-five beneficiaries about the effects of social assistance of Altındağ

Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation in Ankara, Turkey.

According to SYDV officers interviewed stated that the “poor” description of the state

remains as outward and vague since it does not unweave the concept of indigence. One of the

social assistance specialist mentioned that;

“In the determination process of beneficiaries, the control mechanism of poverty remains as going to homes and checking out the reliability and accuracy of their declarations which were previously and initially inspected on SOYBİS system. However, if the applicant passed SOYBİS search then it is highly probable that this applicant will benefit from the assistance” (Apaydın, 2011).

This process indicates a critical spot that “the poor” assisted by the state is determined by

means of uneven measurement of absolute poverty. Furthermore, the measurement stays too

broad for the division between absolute and relative poverty so that both the real indigent –

absolute poor- and relatively poor people are supposed to benefit from the same types of

assistance. It is obvious that these unclear and broad definitions of poverty and the

measurement criterion of the institution bring out two considerable results. First, it becomes

impossible to categorize the poor and analyze their specific needs and second, deriving from

the first condition, provided assistance remains inefficient since distributed amount for per

family diminish though the number of systematically poor families increases. The majority of

the respondents stated that they also benefited from other social assistance institutions.

Some of the responses in the interviews:

Illiterate and abandoned by her husband, 47 years old women said that;

“Surviving with only SYDV social assistances is almost impossible. I have to apply to other institutions because these assistances are not sufficient.”

A 35 years old women, graduated from primary school and her husband is jailed, mentioned that;

“I receive assistances from different institutions. For example; I receive heating assistance from municipality. Because it is insufficient, why would I bother if it was sufficient?”(Apaydın, 2011)

A 34 years old woman proves the above mentioned;

“I applied all social assistance providing institutions that I know but few of them are giving me social assistance. It is really insufficient. Do you know any other social assistance providing institutions? I have just applied all institution. They can decide whether I need or not. I do not hide anything; they can come and see my house.” (Apaydın, 2011)

The theoretical uncertainty of who is poor could also be seen from the statements of the

correspondents.The beneficiaries declared that (Apaydın, 2011)social assistances they receive

are very effective on their poverty situation. Accordingly social assistances have essential

significance in survival of beneficiaries that their poverty is decreased by social assistance.

Additionally, food and heating needs of beneficiaries are completely provided by these social

assistances. “They have no resource to buy extra food or heating materials, thus their poverty

condition is highly dependent on social transfers made by SYDV.” (Apaydın, 2011)

Some of the other statements of beneficiaries:

The statements of 52 years old illiterate women explicitly define how effective social assistance on their poverty;

“I have nothing except that social assistance I receive from SYDV. I wouldn’t know what to do if I don’t receive social assistance from here. Even, we make our bread at home with the flour that was given with social assistance.” (Apaydın, 2011)

48 years old women, illiterate and mother of 3 children, said that;

“It reduces our poverty but we are still poor. They give me food, coal that I cannot buy with my money. My husband works at construction but we cannot survive with it. Between, he can works only in summer.” (Apaydın, 2011)

Nevertheless, it is clear that there is reliance on social assistance. Hence, the main purpose of

the social assistance cannot be attained, that is helping poor to help themselves, but it is the

truth that these assistances are very vital on their poverty situation. When the beneficiaries

were asked the effects of the social assistance on their poverty, some of the answers were:

43 years old women, abandoned by her husband mentioned that; “It has a significant importance for my survival. My husband abandoned me 5 years ago. I cannot survive without these aids. I have 4 children but none of them taking care of me. They don’t even call me. At least I got food by these aids otherwise I would die starving.” (Apaydın, 2011)

44 years old women whose husband is bedridden said that; “Of course it has an effect on our poverty. My husband is bedridden, he cannot work. It decreases out poverty a little but we are still in need of food. I cannot imagine what would I do, if those aids cut down.” (Apaydın,2011 )

Another important feature of this group is the crime rate. At least one member of a family in

this dependent group is jailed. This condition increases their reliance to social assistance since

they have to take care of jailed member of family.

Some of the other responses:

A 35 years old women, graduated from primary school and her husband is jailed, mentioned that;

“My husband is in jail for 2 years, I am in need of these assistances. I have 3 children that I have to take care. I have to meet the needs of my husband. This is why these aids are not sufficient for me.” (Apaydın, 2011)

The statements of 52 years old illiterate women, whose son is in prison, mentioned that;

“My son is jailed because of drug dealing. I have two daughter and they got married. I am trying to give some amount of money to my son. He is in prison for 3 years. Before he was jailed, he used to take care of me. I wasn’t in need of social assistance. But, now, I can’t even find a bread to eat.” (Apaydın, 2011)

The interviews disclose that the beneficiaries recognize social assistance as “a good thing that

supports indigent people so as to make them survive. It is important to point out the fact that

no beneficiaries perceive those aids as “rights”. Generally beneficiaries do not find the

assistances adequate for their needs. Apaydın also expresses that most of the respondents

express that they take those kinds of aids also from municipalities or other NGO type of

institutions. From this it can be said that there is no control mechanism which inspects

whether beneficiaries get assistance from other institutions. In that sense, disconnection

between institutions decreases the effectiveness of poverty alleviation since it allocates higher

resources and encourages dependency culture.

Municipalities provide package products and SYDV provide cheques that could only be used

in some markets. Some of the beneficiaries said that the aid package products may not

respond to their specific needs as users. For instance, a diabetic beneficiary cannot consume

sugary products in the package so that these kind of misused products are distributed to

neighbors by them or they are thrown away.

48 years old diabetic patient women, illiterate and mother of 3 children, stated that;

“My next door neighbor is poor, poorer than me. I am a diabetic patient. I give all sugar including foods to that neighbor or other neighbors. Sometimes, I throw away some of the packages. They always give the same amount of product, same brand and same foods. I wish they can change that. They should ask me about my needs.” (Apaydın, 2011)

Social assistance of SYDV is thought to be more efficient on poverty reduction by

beneficiaries since they feel themselves free to decide on and buy their specific needs up to a

certain level. All participants can be identified as caught by poverty trap and these individuals

have no resource and no chance to create a resource to get rid of poverty.

8.0 Conclusion

Turkish welfare system is elucidated. One of the most important welfare institutions in

Turkey is SYDV. Institutional structure of social assistance system is identified and how

poverty is alleviated through social assistance. Furthermore, types of social assistance,

purpose of social assistances and application process has been identified. It would not be

unfair to say that the circle formed by the system brings out some clienteles relations between

beneficiaries and the state since it is picked out that the state does not set up long term

relations with beneficiaries and just provides the service to them as they are the clients

without expecting any contributions in return for the assistance. That’s why; it cannot go

beyond obtaining numeric and economical improvements in poverty rates rather than

removing social causes and effects of poverty in long run. The condition might be linked as a

real stand to the fact of absolute poverty is almost zero while there is still a current poverty

problem within the country. The unreturned relation that the state created over social

assistance causes a deeper conclusion of dependency culture as one of the major reasons

behind reproduction of poverty among beneficiaries. Under these circumstances, even though

social assistance as unconditionally given helps beneficiaries for a temporary, periodical relief

in lives of beneficiaries, it, in fact, does not directly arbitrate for the permanent overcoming of

poverty. In its place, a kind of reproduction of poverty is continued to be derived over this

dependency. Additionally, while beneficiaries cannot throw off their economical poverty

(unemployment, limited access for money and better living conditions etc.) in the long run,

they also are unable to break “culture of poverty” which is one of the causes of continuation

of poverty due to being locked up by their particular social and cultural conditions. So, it can

be stated that social assistance might not be so competent for the achievement of long term

goals in poverty alleviation.

As for the suggestion, state should rebuild its definition of poor. This definition should

include the social and economical background of poor. Moreover, it should not be unclear

definition that target individuals should be defined in detail for each type of social assistance.

As so, distributed social assistances would have higher effect on poverty, since, current

definition of poor is very external that state cannot precisely target who the poor is.

Accordingly, social assistance cannot maintain its function and consume more resources.

Another development can be achieved by elastic social assistance. Social assistances should

be elastic that beneficiaries can decide what they need and quantity of social assistance should

be considered through total member of nuclear family. This transform in distributing device

leads to higher effects on poverty because beneficiaries cannot use some of the products

depending on their health condition or the needs of family. So, needs of beneficiaries should

be acknowledged noticeably by correct policy method.

In Turkey there exist institutions providing social assistance both in public and private sphere.

In essence, these assistances are completing each other by providing diverse needs of

beneficiaries. Though, they also provide same social assistance to beneficiaries. In that sense,

state should build up a network including all public and private social assistance providing

institutions. By establishing a network between public and private institutions, state can

achieve better poverty alleviation since individuals can be in need of clothes instead of food

which is not provided by state institutions but private social assistance providing institutions.

So, different institutions can direct beneficiaries to other social assistance providing

institutions and meet their needs. With this network, state can also achieve improvement on

repeated social assistance that individuals can only benefit from one institution for one type of

social assistance. So, state not only decreases its allocated resources but also indirectly

encourage beneficiaries to join in economical life.The view of beneficiaries on social

assistances that is surviving with the assistance must be eradicated. That’s why state should

provide social assistance in return for an action of beneficiaries. This return can be a social

job that enforces beneficiaries to identify social assistance not as a gift or unconditional

transfer. By this way, state can also get rid of the norms of culture of poverty, since

beneficiaries would be encouraged to join society both in economical and social ways.

In a nutshell, even if social assistance perceived as inadequate by the beneficiaries, the social

assistance is very vital for poverty alleviation in Turkey. Regardless of all those debates and

literature, in-kind transfers have considerable importance on beneficiaries. Additionally,

although social assistance decreases poverty, it doesn’t enforce poor to struggle for their

survival.

References

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