Govt urged to expand social protection coverage for older persons

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The Government has been urged to prioritise social protection of older persons, to ensure they all benefit from the current Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) program.

Various stakeholders in the realm of social protection contend that the Government should broaden its coverage to encompass individuals aged 60 and above, as they qualify under the national social protection policy.

This was during a public conference under the theme: Towards Universal Coverage: Social Protection as a Right for All Older Persons at the Uganda Manufacturers’ Association (UMA) Multi-Purpose Hall, Lugogo, in Nakawa, a Kampala suburb on December 11, 2024.

This conference was a collaborative effort involving the gender ministry, the Expanding Social Protection (ESP) Programme, the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), and Research and Action for Income Security (RAISE).

It attracted several senior citizens, policymakers, representatives from civil society organisations, community advocates, development partners, and academics.

Angella Kasule Nabwowe, the executive director of ISER, praised the Government's initiatives aimed at social protection, particularly for older persons.

However, she highlighted that many older persons in Uganda are still grappling with various and overlapping vulnerabilities, with 48% of those aged 65 and older living in multi-dimensional poverty, which undermines their ability to lead dignified lives.

Furthermore, she said the Senior Citizens Grant (SCG) is restricted to those aged 80 and above, leaving out many older individuals aged 60 to 79 who are also enduring severe poverty.

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, there are 2.3 million older individuals in the country, with women comprising 56% of this population.

Nabwowe also mentioned additional initiatives, including the Special Enterprise Grant for Older Persons (SEGOP) and the public service scheme, which she said only benefits a small group of individuals.

“The budget allocation towards social protection programmes for older persons is insufficient. In the 2024/25 national budget, the allocation towards senior citizen grants remained unchanged at sh121.2b despite the increasing number of older persons each year,” she added.

Nabwowe also emphasized that the monthly payment of sh25,000 provided to beneficiaries under the SAGE programme is insufficient to lift them above the $2.15 (sh7,892) poverty threshold.

ISER advocates for enhanced legal safeguards, urging the government to enact a Social Protection Act that would ensure comprehensive support for all vulnerable populations, particularly older persons. They reiterated their recommendations to lower the eligibility age from 80 to 60 years, eliminate the digital national ID requirement for access to social protection, increase social protection funding, ensure sustainable financing through tax revenues, and adjust the amounts allocated for the Senior Citizens Grant, among other measures.

Esther Anyakun (left), State Minister of Labour, chats with Lydia Nabiryo (left), the commissioner Equity and Rights Ministry of Gender, as Angella Kasule (centre) the Executive Director of Initiative for Social and Economic (Right), looks on at a public conference on social protection for older persons on Dec. 11, 2024. (Photo by Nicholas Oneal)

Allana Kembabazi, the Programs Manager at ISER, emphasized the need for the government to lower the eligibility age for social security to 60, to include individuals from the informal sector or those lacking any social security coverage.

She also highlighted the necessity for increased funding for social protection, noting that the current sh25,000 given out is inadequate to cover their essential needs in light of today's high cost of living.

State Minister for Labour and Employment, Esther Davina Anyakun, stated that the Government is developing a strategy in collaboration with local authorities to register older individuals who are not enrolled in the SAGE programme.

She emphasized that although there have been numerous initiatives aimed at enhancing social protection, significant challenges persist due to the economic structure, which sees a large portion of the Ugandan workforce engaged in the informal sector.

“We must design approaches that ensure these individuals receive the support they need as they age. Many of our older citizens have dedicated their lives to building this nation and deserve to live in their older age free from worry and insecurity,” she added.

She emphasized the Government's commitment to enhancing social protection for older persons in Uganda.

At present, 320,000 senior citizens are receiving support from the SAGE program in all districts nationwide.

In his keynote presentation former finance minister, Prof. Ezra Suruma, echoed the importance of prioritizing social protection, emphasizing that older persons deserve to live in dignity and no one should be left to live in a subhuman state.

“There are Ugandans who are living in a ‘subhuman’ state - a less than human state. They cannot access basic human needs: food, shelter, medicine, clothing, clean water because of unemployment, disability, old age, natural disasters, orphans,” he noted.

He highlighted the social contract between citizens and the state, stating that the government is obligated to meet the fundamental needs of all people, including older persons.