"The provision of social security benefits financed from the general revenue of the government rather than by individual contributions, with benefits adjusted to the person’s needs. Many social assistance programmes are targeted at those individuals and households living under a defined threshold of income or assets. Social assistance programmes can focus on a specific risk (for example, social assistance benefits for families with children), or on particularly vulnerable groups (for example, poor elderly people)".
Source: International Labour Organization. 2016. "Social protection assessment-based national dialogue: A global guide". ILO. <https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---integration/documents/publication/wcms_568693.pdf>. Accessed 14 May 2020.
