An Overview of the Situation for Social Protection

In Jordan, “the incidence of disability is nearly twice as high among the poor as in the richest quintile”.[1] In fact, disability and poverty are interconnected in that causality goes both ways. Poverty can indeed foster disability. For example, poor and deficient nutrition or lack of access to health services can lead to physical or mental impairment.  Conversely, disability can trigger poverty by hindering access to social and economic opportunities. Fighting widespread poverty among persons with disabilities requires, among other things, an efficient social protection system. 

Though the role of the State in providing social protection is crucial, non-State actors, especially families and charities, are also involved in Jordan. There are five registered NGOs that list persons with physical disabilities as the target group. Their services include charity and educational service, as well as socializing and cultural activities. The total number of direct beneficiaries is an estimated 3,600.

Data by DOS on persons with special needs do not contain information on pensions. The Social Security Corporation, however, does provide data on pensions, including for persons with disabilities. However, the Social Security Corporation categorizes disability in a different way from that of DOS, thereby rendering it difficult to compare, relate and harmonize the data provided by the two agencies. 

Specifically, the Corporation differentiates persons affected by disability owing to natural causes and disability arising from work injury. Moreover, it does not differentiate between mental and physical disability. With regard to pensions, it reveals that persons disabled by natural causes and those disabled by work injury represent, respectively, 17.4 and 3.1 per cent of the accumulated number of Jordanian pensioners, compared, for example, to persons of old age who represent 68.8 per cent of the accumulated number of Jordanian pensioners. A gender gap can be detected whereby 89.6 per cent of beneficiaries of pensions for disability due to natural causes and 95.8 per cent of those arising from work injury are men.

[1] World Bank and the Government of Jordan . 2004. Jordan Poverty Assessment. Vol. 1 (December).