Elderly Vulnerability And Social Protection During Covid-19 Pandemic

KEY MESSAGES

• The Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread, with 2 million people infected in 213 countries, including Indonesia, and more than 150,000 deaths.

• The pandemic has threatened Indonesia’s health system, economy, and social affiliation. All segments of the population have been affected, however, some specific groups including children, the elderly, and people with disability are more vulnerable than others.

• The elderly are vulnerable socially due to limited mobility and pre-existing social exclusion and isolation but are also economically vulnerable–with the highest rate of poverty in the country and few having access to minimum income support or pensions.

• The Government of Indonesia (GoI) needs to pay closer attention on how best to provide protection for this particular group.

• This policy brief proposes that a temporary universal elderly transfer payment should be considered so that it can help to mitigate the economic vulnerability of the elderly.

• Two target groups are identified: those aged 60 years and above (all elderly), and those aged 70 years and above, while the benefit options are either Rp 200,000 or Rp 300,000 per month for a three- to six-month period (depending on fiscal capacity) for each target group.