Public Welfare Assistance Scheme (PWAS)
Basic Information
Country
Geographic area
Population group
Children, Elderly persons, Persons with disabilities
Programme Details
Programme objectives
To provide assistance to the most vulnerable population so that individuals can meet their basic needs, and to promote community capacity for overcoming poverty and vulnerability.
Chiwele, D.K. 2010. “Assessing Administrative Capacity and Costs of Cash Transfer Schemes in
Zambia - Implications for Rollout.” Country Study, No. 20. Brasília: IPC-IG. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://www.ipc-undp.org/pub/IPCCountryStudy20.pdf>.
Start date
1950
The programme started in the 1950s. Reference:
International Labour Organization. 2008. Zambia - Social Protection Expenditure and Performance Review
and Social Budget. Geneva: ILO. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://interactions.eldis.org/sites/interactions.
eldis.org/files/database_sp/Zambia/Public%20Welfare%20Assistance%20Scheme/PWAS2.pdf>.
Coverage
25,859 beneficiaries (2015)
Programme expenditure
ZMK8 billion or USD1.6 million (2013)
Mumba, K. 2013. “Paper Presented at the World Health Organization Consultation to Inform
the Post-2015 TB Strategy and Action.” Presentation at the WHO Consultation to Inform the
Post-2015 TB Strategy and Action, São Paulo, Brazil, 29 April – 1 May. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://www.who.int/tb/Zambia_tb.pdf>.
Targeting and eligiblity
Targeting methods
Categorical Targeting
Targeted areas
Natiowide
International Labour Organization. 2008. Zambia - Social Protection Expenditure and Performance Review
and Social Budget. Geneva: ILO. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://interactions.eldis.org/sites/interactions.
eldis.org/files/database_sp/Zambia/Public%20Welfare%20Assistance%20Scheme/PWAS2.pdf>.
Target groups
Incapacitated households (defined as the 10 per cent most vulnerable
and poor); elderly people; people with disabilities; children; and survivors
of natural disasters.
International Labour Organization. 2008. Zambia - Social Protection Expenditure and Performance Review
and Social Budget. Geneva: ILO. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://interactions.eldis.org/sites/interactions.
eldis.org/files/database_sp/Zambia/Public%20Welfare%20Assistance%20Scheme/PWAS2.pdf>.
Eligibility criteria
Beneficiary households must be classified as incapacitated
(that is, not able to meet their own basic needs). Priority is given to the
extreme cases of vulnerability, where the survival of members is at risk.
Targeted beneficiary households include those that are headed by an
elderly person or person with disabilities or a child; those that have
no productive assets or other sources of income; survivors of natural
disasters; and vulnerable orphans, including those who are homeless.
Chiwele, D.K. 2010. “Assessing Administrative Capacity and Costs of Cash Transfer Schemes in
Zambia - Implications for Rollout.” Country Study, No. 20. Brasília: IPC-IG. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://www.ipc-undp.org/pub/IPCCountryStudy20.pdf>.
Coverage and other information
Type of benefits
In-kind benefits (food, clothing) and
social services (health, education, shelter).
International Labour Organization. 2008. Zambia - Social Protection Expenditure and Performance Review
and Social Budget. Geneva: ILO. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://interactions.eldis.org/sites/interactions.
eldis.org/files/database_sp/Zambia/Public%20Welfare%20Assistance%20Scheme/PWAS2.pdf>.
Amount of benefits
USD2–USD20 annually
International Labour Organization. 2008. Zambia - Social Protection Expenditure and Performance Review
and Social Budget. Geneva: ILO. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://interactions.eldis.org/sites/interactions.
eldis.org/files/database_sp/Zambia/Public%20Welfare%20Assistance%20Scheme/PWAS2.pdf>.
Payment/delivery frequency
The transfers are provided at irregular intervals.
Mumba, K. 2013. “Paper Presented at the World Health Organization Consultation to Inform
the Post-2015 TB Strategy and Action.” Presentation at the WHO Consultation to Inform the
Post-2015 TB Strategy and Action, São Paulo, Brazil, 29 April – 1 May. Accessed 11 November 2015.
<http://www.who.int/tb/Zambia_tb.pdf>.
Benefit delivery mechanism
Through Community Welfare Committees
