Building Sustainable Welfare: A Critical Evaluation of Social Assistance Policy from The Perspective of Amartya Sen Capability Theory

Abstrak

Social assistance policies in Indonesia, such as the Family Hope Program (PKH) and the Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT), remain focused on financial aid without a holistic approach that empowers individuals. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of social assistance policies through the lens of Amartya Sen capability approach in order to formulate more inclusive and sustainable policy transformation strategies. The method used is a qualitative study with policy analysis based on literature from academic journals, government reports, and Amartya Sen capability theory. The findings indicate that although social assistance programs have succeeded in increasing the purchasing power of the poor in the short term, limited access to education, healthcare, and skill training has hindered the significant development of individual capabilities. Structurally, these policies are also trapped in a logic of clientelistic politics and centralized bureaucracy, where aid distribution is often politicized for electoral interests and the preservation of the power status quo. As a result, beneficiaries experience low social mobility and continued dependence on social assistance. This study emphasizes the need for a policy approach that is not only technocratic but also transformative, by integrating dimensions of individual empowerment, social justice, and the restructuring of economic and political systems. Therefore, capability-based social policy reform is a critical step toward achieving inclusive, just, and sustainable welfare in Indonesia.

Kata kunci

• Amartya Sen
• Poverty
• Social Assistance
• capability