The Egyptian government has stated that no eligible families have been excluded from the Takaful and Karama program, a cash-support initiative aimed at supporting poor and vulnerable households. The program, launched in 2015, has been a key component of the country's social safety net. According to the Ministry of Social Solidarity, 4.7 million families currently receive support under the program.
The Ministry of Social Solidarity reported that over 8.3 million families have benefited from the program since its inception. Of these beneficiaries, 2.2 million families have exited the program after experiencing improvements in their socioeconomic conditions. The ministry attributed the exit of these families to changes in their eligibility status, such as the death of a beneficiary, travel abroad, or acquisition of a regular income.
The Takaful and Karama program is a dynamic cash-support initiative that periodically assesses beneficiaries to determine their continued eligibility. The program consists of two components: Takaful, which provides conditional cash transfers to poor families with children, and Karama, which provides unconditional support to poor elderly people, persons with severe disabilities, orphans, and widows.
The Ministry of Social Solidarity emphasized that the program aims to provide support to families during periods of need while promoting economic and social self-reliance. To ensure the accurate targeting of beneficiaries, the ministry utilizes data-sharing systems that link the Social Registry with databases from various state agencies.
According to the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the average support per family has reached EGP 900, with a minimum of EGP 700 and a maximum of EGP 4,000. The FY2026/2027 budget allocates EGP 55.3 billion to social-support programs, including Takaful and Karama, social security, child pensions, and support for rural women.
The Egyptian government's allocation for subsidies, grants, and social benefits in the new budget has increased by 12 percent year-on-year to EGP 832.3 billion. This move reflects the government's efforts to enhance its social support systems and address the needs of vulnerable populations.
The Takaful and Karama program has been recognized as one of Egypt's most cost-effective ways to support vulnerable families, according to the World Bank's Sebastian Guimbert. The program's implementation and expansion have been instrumental in providing assistance to those in need, while promoting economic and social self-reliance.
Key points
- The Egyptian government denies excluding eligible families from the Takaful and Karama program.
- Over 8.3 million families have benefited from the program since its launch in 2015.
- The program aims to provide support to families during periods of need while promoting economic and social self-reliance.
