Social Grants and Poverty Reduction at the Household Level: Empirical Evidence from Ghana

Type Journal Article - Journal of Social Science
Title Social Grants and Poverty Reduction at the Household Level: Empirical Evidence from Ghana
Author(s)
Volume 39
Issue 3
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2014
Page numbers 293-302
URL http://www.krepublishers.com/02-Journals/JSS/JSS-39-0-000-14-Web/JSS-39-3-14-Abst-PDF/JSS-39-3-293-1​4-1581-Dinbabo-M-F/JSS-39-3-293-14-1581-Dinbabo-M-F-Tx[6].pdf
Abstract
This paper assesses the impact of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) social
grant programme in alleviating household poverty in rural Ghana. From a social justice perspective, the study
unravels the contribution of the programme in improving the general welfare of beneficiary households in the case
study area. Using data from structured household questionnaires, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews,
the study establishes that the LEAP social grant has a significant positive impact on food consumption, frequency
of utilization of healthcare facilities and the school enrolment rate for children aged 6-13 years in beneficiary
households. However, although hypothesised, no significant impact is observed in relation to the incidence of child
labour in the household. The study also uncovers that the insufficient nature of the cash transfer, irregular payment
periods, lack of access to complimentary services and limited staff capacity pose serious challenges to the
programme. It is therefore recommended that government increases the cash amount, pay transfers regularly, link
beneficiaries to existing complimentary services in the district, recruit more staff and provide in-service training
opportunities for them.

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