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Last updated: 24/3/2022

Programme National d’Aide aux Familles Nécessiteuses, PNAFN (National Programme of Assistance to Needy Families)

Basic Information

Country
Geographic area
Middle East & North Africa
Programme type

Programme Details

Programme objectives

To provide financial aid to the most vulnerable families.

References
Government of Tunisia. 2011. Les programmes sociaux de lutte contre la pauvreté et d’amélioration des conditions de vie. Tunis: Government of Tunisia. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://cmimarseille.org/ sites/default/files/newsite/AFD/tunisworkshop/context/MSU_wk1_Introduction_MAS.pdf>.
Programme components
Monthly financial assistance; allocation of free health care cards (AMG I; for more, see the AMG programme) ; since 2007, an additional cash transfer for PNAFN households with children of school age (for more, see PNAFN’s Programme d’Allocations Scolaires—PPAS)
References
African Development Bank. 2013. Food Subsidies and Direct Social Assistance: Towards Better Targeting of Monetary Poverty and Deprivations in Tunisia. Addis Ababa: African Development Bank. Accessed 24 July 2017. <https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/ uploads/afdb/Documents/Procurement/Project-related-Procurement/Food_Subsidies_ and_Direct_Social_Assistance-_Towards_Better_Targeting_of_Monetary_Poverty_and_ Deprivations_in_Tunisia.pdf>. World Bank. 2015. Consolidating Social Protection and Labour Policy in Tunisia. Building Systems, Connecting to Jobs. Washington, DC: World Bank. Accessed 24 July 2017. <http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/pt/970691468197064763/ pdf/103218-REVISED-PUBLIC-ENGLISHTunisia-SPL-Policy-Note-Dec-2015-EN-Rev.pdf>.
Start date
1986
References
Government of Tunisia. 2011. Les programmes sociaux de lutte contre la pauvreté et d’amélioration des conditions de vie. Tunis: Government of Tunisia. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://cmimarseille.org/ sites/default/files/newsite/AFD/tunisworkshop/context/MSU_wk1_Introduction_MAS.pdf>.
Coverage
225,525 households (802,461 individuals) in 2015; after 2011, coverage was expanded to 100,000 additional families
References
CRES. 2017. Évaluation de la performance des programmes d’assistance sociale en Tunisie pour optimiser le ciblage des pauvres et freiner l’avancée de l’informalité. Tunis: Centre de Recherches et d’Etudes Sociales. Accessed 24 July 2017. <http://www.cres. tn/uploads/tx_wdbiblio/Rapport_CRES_mai_2017.pdf>.
Programme expenditure
Around 0.4 per cent of GDP in 2014
References
Personal communication.

Targeting and eligiblity

Targeting methods
Means Test
Categorical Targeting
Targeted areas
Nationwide
Target groups
Families deprived of material support; household heads unable to exercise a professional activity/trade; households with an adjusted annual income not exceeding TND585
References
African Development Bank. 2013. Food Subsidies and Direct Social Assistance: Towards Better Targeting of Monetary Poverty and Deprivations in Tunisia. Addis Ababa: African Development Bank. Accessed 24 July 2017. <https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/ uploads/afdb/Documents/Procurement/Project-related-Procurement/Food_Subsidies_ and_Direct_Social_Assistance-_Towards_Better_Targeting_of_Monetary_Poverty_and_ Deprivations_in_Tunisia.pdf>.
Eligibility criteria
Self-declared (unverified) household revenue falling below the poverty line, defined in PNAFN as TND585/year (USD1.25 per day), up from approximately TND 400/ year (USD0.75 per day) before the revolution; household size; number of household members with a disability and/or chronic health condition; living conditions, such as dwelling and household assets; household head’s inability to work due to physical or mental impairment
References
World Bank. 2015. Consolidating Social Protection and Labour Policy in Tunisia. Building Systems, Connecting to Jobs. Washington, DC: World Bank. Accessed 24 July 2017. <http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/pt/970691468197064763/ pdf/103218-REVISED-PUBLIC-ENGLISHTunisia-SPL-Policy-Note-Dec-2015-EN-Rev.pdf>.
Eligibility reassessment (if any)
Household eligibility is reviewed every two years; beneficiaries must visit the social welfare office every year and get a stamp on their free health care card; the card and PNAFN status can be revoked if the social worker deems that the household is no longer eligible
References
UNICEF. 2014. Evaluation of Tunisia’s Education Benefit Program of PNAFN. Tunis: United Nations Children’s Fund. Accessed 24 July 2017. <https://www.unicef.org/ evaldatabase/files/Evaluation_of_the_Education_Benefit_Program_of_PNAFN_in_Tunisia.pdf>.

Coverage and other information

Type of benefits
Cash; health care
Amount of benefits
TND150/month in 2015
References
Charmes, J., and N. Bencheikh. 2016. Protection sociale et économie informelle en Tunisie. Défis de la transition vers l’économie formelle. Tunis: Centre de Recherches et d’Etudes Sociales. Accessed 24 July 2017. <http://www.cres.tn/uploads/tx_wdbiblio/ Secteur_informel_Tunisie.pdf>.
Payment/delivery frequency
Monthly
References
World Bank. 2015. Consolidating Social Protection and Labour Policy in Tunisia. Building Systems, Connecting to Jobs. Washington, DC: World Bank. Accessed 24 July 2017. <http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/pt/970691468197064763/ pdf/103218-REVISED-PUBLIC-ENGLISHTunisia-SPL-Policy-Note-Dec-2015-EN-Rev.pdf>.
Benefit delivery mechanism
National postal services agency (La Poste Tunisienne)
References
Personal communication
Benefit recipients
Household head
References
African Development Bank. 2013. Food Subsidies and Direct Social Assistance: Towards Better Targeting of Monetary Poverty and Deprivations in Tunisia. Addis Ababa: African Development Bank. Accessed 24 July 2017. <https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/ uploads/afdb/Documents/Procurement/Project-related-Procurement/Food_Subsidies_ and_Direct_Social_Assistance-_Towards_Better_Targeting_of_Monetary_Poverty_and_ Deprivations_in_Tunisia.pdf>.
Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and frequency
Recent performance evaluation by the Centre de Recherches et d’Études Sociales (CRES): the evaluation survey has been under way since 2014 and is being carried out in partnership with the African Development Bank; the Ministère des Affaires Sociales most recently conducted an evaluation in 2014 . MIS: A programme information system contains information on the benefit amounts paid to each household (identified by the PNAFN beneficiary’s government ID number); no information is available about which children receive educational benefits
References
UNICEF. 2014. Evaluation of Tunisia’s Education Benefit Program of PNAFN. Tunis: United Nations Children’s Fund. Accessed 24 July 2017. <https://www.unicef.org/ evaldatabase/files/Evaluation_of_the_Education_Benefit_Program_of_PNAFN_in_Tunisia.pdf> CRES. 2017. Évaluation de la performance des programmes d’assistance sociale en Tunisie pour optimiser le ciblage des pauvres et freiner l’avancée de l’informalité. Tunis: Centre de Recherches et d’Etudes Sociales. Accessed 24 July 2017. <http://www.cres. tn/uploads/tx_wdbiblio/Rapport_CRES_mai_2017.pdf>.

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