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Enhancing Disability Welfare: Government Initiatives and Programs in Nepal

Samip Regmi

Westcliff University

ECO 402: Economics of Welfare

Prof. Chittaranjan Pandey

March 25, 2024

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Significance of Separate Ministry for Welfare Initiatives

The fact that there is a government body that only runs welfare programs shows how

important social welfare is. This specialty government might only be responsible for making,

implementing, and keeping an eye on policies and programs that help poor and defenseless areas.

By working together under one roof to solve problems related to women's equality, social

inclusion, and care, we can make the best use of our resources and provide the best services.

Because Nepal has a varied population and many social and economic issues, it is

essential to establish a distinct government that focuses on charitable causes. Access to

opportunities and resources varies throughout Nepal's socioeconomic strata, exacerbating the

country's financial position. Women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, and rural

populations face more barriers to financial independence and full participation in society. The

establishment of a separate agency for humanitarian projects demonstrates the government's

commitment to addressing these issues while also furthering social justice and equality. Nepal

may be better positioned to satisfy its people' requests if the ministries in charge of aid, gender

equality, and social inclusion were united into one (Banskota, 2015). Setting up one of the

ministry could play an important role for policy creation, implementing programs, and ensuring

that disadvantaged and needy people get what they need.

Unemployment and Disability Insurance Program

Disability insurance programs help a lot of people when they can't work because of an

illness. These programs are complicatedly linked to unemployment. When people with

disabilities can't work because of their condition, they may look for cash help from disability

insurance, which could leave them without a job (Lamichhance & Okubo, 2014). On the other
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hand, people who lose their jobs for reasons that aren't linked to their disability may later get

disabilities that make disability insurance even more important. Also, people who are already

getting disability payouts may have a much harder time finding work because their disabilities

make it hard for them to do certain tasks. When coping with the challenging concerns of

disability and unemployment, disability insurance is a critical safety net that allows individuals

to remain financially secure.

There is often a correlation between the number of persons who work and those who get

disability insurance. If someone's illness prevents them from working, they may lose their

employment. In these circumstances, disability insurance policies are critical since they assist

handicapped individuals with their money and mitigate the economic impact of people losing

their employment due to their impairment (Adhikari, 2019). People with impairments in Nepal

may face a lack of career options. This might indicate that there is a direct relationship between

unemployment and disability insurance use. People with impairments may lose their employment

if they are unable to perform their duties. Disability insurance policies are quite significant in

these situations since they assist those who are unable to work due to a disability in making ends

meet. An instance of this is the Social Security Fund (SSF), which serves as a means for the

Nepalese government to provide compensation to those with disabilities. The fund includes

disability insurance, which offers monetary support to those who are unable of engaging in

employment as a result of a medical ailment (Niroula, 2018). Enrolling in disability insurance

enables people to protect their financial resources against the consequences of job loss resulting

from a medical condition, while also ensuring access to essential products and services.
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Exisiting Disability Insurance Programs and Government Inititatives

Numerous government initiatives and services are available in Nepal to support and cater

to the requirements of individuals with disabilities. Like the Permanent Disability Benefit (WIA)

in the Netherlands and the Invalidity Pension in Ireland, there are several government services

and initiatives that assist those with disabilities in Nepal. These programs and services are very

necessary for those who are disabled or have a long-term disease (Pokharel et al., 2018). Similar

to the Irish Invalidity Pension, the Social Security Fund (SSF) ensures that employees in Nepal's

official sector get essential social security benefits, such as health insurance and monthly cash

payments in the event of an incapacity to work. The National Disability Allowance (NDA) in

Nepal helps disabled people with low incomes, just like the Dutch WIA does (Holmet et al.,

2018). The goal is to reduce poverty and improve their quality of life. WIA and the Invalidity

Pension also offer therapy services that are similar to those provided by the National therapy

Fund for the Disabled (NRFD).

The Social Security Fund (SSF), which is run by the government, is one of these

programs that gives formal-sector workers social security benefits like sickness insurance. In the

event that a covered person gets hurt and can't work, they will still get regular cash benefits from

the SSF. The National Disability Allowance (NDA) also helps disabled people with low incomes

by giving them a monthly wage (Banks et al., 2019). This is done to increase their level of life

and reduce poverty. The government has created both open and special education programs to

make sure that all children, even those with challenges, get a good education. The goal of these

programs is to make learning settings that are welcoming and to give educational institutions like

schools the help they need. The main goal of these programs is to help people get back into the

workforce by giving they job training and helping them use technology. People with disabilities
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in Nepal are working together to improve their rights, respect, and ability to fit in with society.

They are doing this through projects like these, which include everything from giving them

money to making sure they can go to school. All of this is part of a bigger effort to make society

more open to everyone.

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References

Banskota, M. (2015). Nepal disability policy review. School of Arts, Kathmandu University,

Disability Research Center.

Lamichhane, K., & Okubo, T. (2014). The Nexus between Disability, Education, and

Employment: Evidence from Nepal. Oxford Development Studies, 42(3), 439–453.

doi.org/10.1080/13600818.2014.927843

Adhikari, K. P. (2019). Realising the Rights of Persons with Disability in Nepal: Policy

Addresses From the Health, Education and Livelihoods Perspectives. Nepalese Journal

of Development and Rural Studies, 16, 23–34. doi.org/10.3126/njdrs.v16i0.31532

Banks, L. M., Walsham, M., Neupane, S., Neupane, S., Pradhananga, Y., Maharjan, M.,

Blanchet, K., & Kuper, H. (2019). Access to Social Protection among People with

Disabilities: Mixed Methods Research from Tanahun, Nepal. The European Journal of

Development Research, 31(4), 929–956. doi.org/10.1057/s41287-019-0194-3

Niroula, G. (2018). Trends and Prospects of Social Security Program in Nepal. Nepalese Journal

of Insurance and Social Security, 1(1), 73-85.

Holmes, R., Samuels, F., Ghimire, A., & Thewissen, S. (2018). Nepal's cash allowances for

children with disabilities. ODI Report.

Pokharel, R. P., & Silwal, P. R. (2018). Social health insurance in Nepal: A health system

departure toward the universal health coverage. The International Journal of Health

Planning and Management, 33(3), 573–580. doi.org/10.1002/hpm.2530