Immediately Launched Social Assistance for the Elderly and Disabilities, the Ministry of Social Affairs Strengthens the Joint Commitment of the Social Services Agency

JAKARTA (April 16th 2020) - Director General of Social Rehabilitation, Harry Hikmat held a video conference to discuss the follow-up distribution of social assistance for people with disabilities and elderly people affected by COVID-19 with the Heads of Social Rehabilitation of the Provincial Social Services Agency throughout Indonesia, heads of the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities and data managers. A total of 108 participants took part in the video conference. This is a collaboration between the central and local governments in the successful distribution of basic food and cash assistance in the near future.

The Director General of Social Rehabilitation conveyed some information related to the basic food assistance and cash social assistance to be distributed by the Ministry of Social Affairs. "A situation like this is difficult for people to meet basic needs. So the Ministry of Social Affairs will provide assistance in the form of basic food social assistance for the Jabodetabek area and cash social assistance for outside Jabodetabek," said the Director General of Social Rehabilitation.

Based on the policy of the Indonesian Minister of Social Affairs, Juliari P. Batubara, in this emergency, social assistance will be prioritized for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and people with disabilities, according to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Minister of Social Affairs also added that in the distribution of social assistance, the team leader of the Sembako Social Assistance is the Directorate General of Social Protection and Security (Ditjen Linjamsos) and the team leader for Cash Social Assistance is the Directorate General for Poverty Handling (Ditjen PFM).

In the elderly cluster, as many as 68,229 Social Welfare Services Recipients (PPKS) were proposed to receive social assistance. The details are 4,673 PPKS in the Greater Jakarta area will receive basic food assistance and 63,556 PPKS outside Jabodetabek will receive Cash Social Assistance. The social assistance index for the elderly and people with disabilities is IDR 600 thousand / month and will be distributed for 3 months starting from April 2020.

As for the cluster of persons with disabilities, 24,180 PPKS will receive social assistance. The details are 7,279 PPKS in the Jabodetabek area will get basic food packages and 16,901 PPKS outside Jabodetabek will get cash social assistance. Cash Social Assistance for the elderly and people with disabilities will be transferred through the Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara) for those who already have a bank account or through PT. Pos Indonesia for those who do not have a bank account.

The PPKS data entry point comes from the Social Services Agency and the respective Directorate of Social Rehabilitation which is integrated with the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS) belonging to the Ministry of Social Affairs Data and Information Center (Pusdatin).

On this occasion, the Director General of Social Rehabilitation invited Social Services Agency throughout Indonesia to jointly ensure and verify data so that double counting does not occur. This is because the Basic Food and Social Assistance Services are provided only to PPKS who do not receive regular assistance such as the Family Hope Program (PKH), Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT) / Basic Food Program and Pre-Work Card assistance. So the Social Services Agency needs to coordinate with the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation and the Director General of Social Protection and Security.

Apart from that, social assistance for basic food and cash assistance related to COVID-19 does not include recipients of the Social Assistance for People with Severe Disabilities (ASPDB) and Elderly Social Assistance (ASLUT) programs, because the regular programs are essentially the same as PKH. Currently the two regular programs are in the process of disbursement as well, thus helping to fulfill basic needs such as PKH and BPNT / regular basic food programs.

In the later distribution process, the Director General for Social Rehabilitation will tell the Social Services Agency to optimize the role of a companion in the field for verification and validation. "Please optimize the role of assistants in the field to ensure assistance reaches the rightful according to verified data," concluded the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation.

Humanitarian missions began to be encouraged. In distributing aid, officers will be in fields and public spaces at risk of transmission of COVID-19. So the Director General of Social Rehabilitation also conveyed to maintain personal safety, health and hygiene. "Please for officers in the field to use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves. Then wash your hands or use a hand sanitizer. Keep your distance and follow the protocol set by the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation," said the Director General of Social Rehabilitation.

Some of the responses from the Heads of Social Rehabilitation included updating data, replacing potential recipients, new proposals, mechanisms and other provisions. Quite a dynamic question and answer that takes place, so that 4 hours of video conference can be held.