Welfare is Not Begging so Stop Shaming the Poor
Photo courtesy of The Federal
When Industries Minister Sunil Handunnetti declared that aswesuma beneficiaries “should be ashamed” and called the cash transfer scheme “like begging legally,” he did more than outrage a large section of the public; he exposed a dangerous misunderstanding of what social welfare is, who pays for it and why a modern state must protect its vulnerable citizens.
His remarks reduce complex social and economic policy to a moral sermon and risk distracting the country from two vital discussions Sri Lanka urgently needs to have: how to make welfare more effective and how to fund it fairly.
Aswesuma is Sri Lanka’s main social security programme designed to support extremely poor and vulnerable households, including people with disabilities, the elderly and low income families. Managed by the Welfare Benefits Board, the programme underwent a major beneficiary data update this year, a sign of its growing importance and reach.
The scale is significant. Official and media reports place the number of aswesuma beneficiaries at over 1.4 million families, depending on whether the data count individuals or households. Government sources have noted that around 1.42 million families have been identified as eligible in one phase, with several hundred thousand classified as “severely poor.”
These numbers clearly show that aswesuma is not an incidental handout. It is a vital part of Sri Lanka’s social protection system, helping millions of citizens to meet basic needs such as food, education and healthcare.
The 2026 budget presented to parliament on 7 November includes significant allocations to strengthen social protection for vulnerable groups. Among the key highlights:
- Rs. 19 billion has been allocated to provide a monthly payment of Rs.10,000 to persons with disabilities under the aswesuma framework
- Additional funds, around Rs. 2.5 billion, have been set aside for elderly care, education and other targeted welfare measures
These allocations confirm that the state has both morally and politically committed itself to protecting its most vulnerable citizens. They also demonstrate that Sri Lanka can afford to sustain targeted welfare programmes when the political will exists.
Social welfare is not an act of charity or legal begging; it is a core function of a modern, responsible state. Every government has three essential obligations to protect, to enable and to invest. Programmes like aswesuma prevent hunger, homelessness and social collapse while also enabling citizens to access education, healthcare and employment opportunities.
To describe such efforts as begging ignores both evidence and compassion. Decades of global research, as well as Sri Lanka’s own data, show that strong welfare systems reduce poverty and promote long term stability. Without such support inequality deepens and economic recovery becomes harder.
Importantly, social welfare is not funded by generosity; it is funded by taxpayers. Every rupee distributed through aswesuma comes from public revenue. This creates a social contract: those who are able to contribute through taxes support those who are temporarily unable to do so, ensuring a fairer and more balanced society.
A progressive and transparent tax system is essential for this balance. Those with higher incomes should contribute more while the most vulnerable receive protection when needed. If the concern is about the cost of welfare, the solution lies in better tax policy and programme efficiency, not in shaming the poor.
The NPP, which now leads the government’s policy direction, has long advocated such principles. Rooted in socialist and social-democratic traditions, the NPP believes that the state must guarantee dignity, equality and security for all. Its ideology promotes strong public welfare systems and opposes the full privatisation of essential services.
In this context, Minister Handunnetti’s remarks stand in contradiction to the NPP’s own values. The party’s foundation rests on the belief that welfare is a right of citizenship, not a cause for shame. Calling welfare recipients ashamed undermines the very principles of equality and solidarity that the NPP claims to uphold.
However, citizenship is not a one sided relationship. With rights come responsibilities. Citizens must pay taxes honestly, follow the law and use welfare support wisely to rebuild their lives. Those who receive benefits should register truthfully and, where possible, take part in training or employment programmes that help them move toward independence.
When both the state and citizens fulfil their responsibilities, welfare becomes a bridge to opportunity, not a symbol of dependency. It connects compassion with accountability, ensuring that no one is left behind as the country progresses.
Instead of moralising, Sri Lanka’s leaders should focus on strengthening and improving welfare policy. Four steps are essential:
- Stop the stigma: Avoid language that shames citizens who depend on state support. Such rhetoric breeds resentment and discourages genuine beneficiaries from seeking help.
- Strengthen administration: Fund better data systems, regular verification and transparent payment mechanisms to ensure that benefits reach the right people.
- Link welfare to opportunity: Combine cash assistance with vocational training, disability-friendly employment and community development programmes.
- Ensure fair funding: Focus national debate on fair taxation and closing revenue loopholes, not on blaming those who receive help.
A minister may disagree with how welfare funds are distributed but he has no right to humiliate people who depend on them. Sri Lanka’s welfare programmes are not signs of weakness; they are expressions of social responsibility.
If the nation truly seeks inclusive and sustainable growth, it must move beyond empty rhetoric and focus on building fair institutions, a balanced tax system and programmes that lift people out of poverty while preserving their dignity.
Social welfare is not begging – it is the mark of a caring and civilised society.
