Kazakhstan has a mature and broad social protection system that supports children and their families through:

• Cash and in-kind transfers
• Investments in education and health
• Social care services, including residential care, services for children with disabilities, and social work.

​Yet poverty remains a prominent problem in Kazakhstan and many people remain vulnerable to social and economic risks. The government of Kazakhstan considers social assistance as a critical policy tool for supporting people who are unable to earn sufficient income to maintain an adequate standard of living.

This briefing paper – based on the full study – examines coverage, targeting, benefit levels, adequacy of transfers and beneficiaries’ experiences and discusses policy implications of the findings.

Babken Babajanian, Jessica Hagen-Zanker and Heiner Salomon