This study was done to explore the process of targeting, selection and benefits distribution and the use of the allowances, satisfaction, and the association of old age and widow allowances with various factors (e.g., expenditure on food and food intake behaviour, self-reported illness and health-related quality of life). This allowances are provided by the government of Bangladesh to poor widows and the elderly persons (¡Ý65 years). A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted in 10 districts of Bangladesh where BRAC RED has been maintaining a demographic surveillance system since 1995 in 52 villages. 

Findings reveal that the vulnerable people were more likely to benefit than the poor, but both groups benefit significantly more than the nonpoor. In practice, selection processes appears to be dominated by UP members and chairmen. Most of the respondent population actively lobbied to be selected as beneficiaries, suggesting a far greater willingness to engage politically among an elderly and marginal population than would necessarily have been expected. Beneficiaries appeared to be in a better position to access valuable information about government assistance programmes from UP representatives compared to those who did not benefit. Beneficiaries were more likely than non beneficiaries to believe that the selection process was fair, and poor non beneficiaries were most likely of all groups to believe process was unfair and to have grievances with the process. There was some evidence of corruption in the process of beneficiary selection and in the distribution of benefits. Implications of these preliminary findings include that wider access to unbiased public information about eligibility, the selection process, and the beneficiary list are likely to help improve targeting to the poor and vulnerable, and may reduce leakage and corruption. NGOs currently appear to play a negligible role in promoting the rights of the poor and vulnerable in the areas studied.

The majority of beneficiaries (93%) expressed satisfaction about the ongoing allowance scheme. This assistance allowed some beneficiaries to initiate income-generating activities. Furthermore, being a beneficiary was significantly associated with increased household expenditure on protein enriched food, improvement in body weight, social and economic dimensions of health-related quality of life of the elderly persons. This positive outcome of allowance, although small, justifies its continuation and expansion to bring more individuals in its net.