Social Assistance Beneficiaries Upgrade

JAKARTA (26 October 2023) - Ministry of Social Affairs is making strategic efforts so that recipients of regular social assistance benefits from Family Hope Program (PKH) and Basic Food Program move up to become independent families.  One effort to encourage independence is by including them in Nusantara Economic Hero Program (PENA).

In PENA Program, beneficiaries are taught ways of entrepreneurship so that they can try and earn their income that is better than the social assistance they have received so far.  This has been proven for six to twelve months, and the beneficiaries have shown signs of independence in entrepreneurship.  For this reason, those who have become independent/promoted, then declare that they have graduated or no longer receive social assistance.

Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini, on Wednesday (25/10), said that Ministry of Social Affairs graduated or released a total of 4,051 beneficiaries from social assistance.  A total of 4,051 graduated beneficiaries are part of 5,028 PENA recipients in 2022. "Today, we have graduated around 4,051 beneficiaries of social assistance.  "We continue to move, hopefully, next month there will be more additions," said Minister of Social Affairs in Jakarta.

Since it was initiated by Minister of Social Affairs in December 2022, it is hoped that this program can become a priority activity within Ministry of Social Affairs in the context of graduating poor and vulnerable groups, breaking the dependency of beneficiaries on social assistance, and directing them to become independent and productive.

Even so, Minister of Social Affairs stated that she did not carelessly graduate the beneficiaries.  Ministry of Social Affairs has its standards in determining the eligibility of beneficiaries for graduation from social assistance.  Minister of Social Affairs wants to ensure that the beneficiaries are financially independent before being released from participating in social assistance recipients.

"Our minimum graduation standards are following the City/Regency Minimum Wage (UMK).  Although sometimes they ask, we don't give it, we don't want it, if it hasn't reached UMK.  "UMK is different in each region, so we use that standard," explained Minister of Social Affairs.

As of July 2023, as many as 1,322 PENA beneficiaries who had arrived above the minimum wage had graduated on August 2, 2023, with details of 1,191 beneficiaries coming from regular social assistance recipients.  Meanwhile, besides that the assistance are not the recipients of social assistance but they are recorded in the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS).

Meanwhile, for July – September 2023 period, as many as 4,051 PENA beneficiaries who had incomes above UMK were each graduated on October 25, 2023, bringing the total graduation to date to 5,373 beneficiaries.

Rusyawati (50), for example.  This woman with four children from Pondok Aren, South Tangerang City is one of 4,051 beneficiaries who are ready to graduate from PKH social assistance.  After running a food stall business for more than 10 years and recently receiving an assistance from PENA Program, she admits that she is financially capable.

“By coming here, it means I am ready to graduate.  Coincidentally, my children are in college, and I can afford them, even until they graduate.  "I feel I can meet the needs of school children, I am ready to leave social assistance," said Mpok Yus - as she is usually called.

Apart from that, Mpok Yus also felt that she was the right choice to withdraw from social assistance.  Physically present among representatives of 4,051 other graduation beneficiaries at Aneka Bhakti Building (GAB) of Ministry of Social Affairs, she felt motivated by Minister Risma.

 “Happy, gain insight, increase knowledge.  You know that spirit, you can't slack off, you can't give up.  "God will give us a way, you can't back down except from PKH," she said, conveying the message she received from Minister Risma.