Age inclusive social protection in fragile settings
Older people are disproportionately affected by conflict and climate shocks yet are routinely excluded from humanitarian aid programmes. Intersecting forms of marginalisation, and the cumulative impact of a lifetime of inequalities, mean that older women, older people with disabilities, and older displaced persons face higher rates of poverty, discrimination, and gender-based violence.
Adaptive and shock-responsive social protection is a critical tool for enabling dignity, autonomy, and resilience in protracted crises.
Download the briefing paper
Published: 2025
Author: Katie Jakeman, Age International
Pages: 15
“The support has helped me provide for my family’s needs – cash is useful for those of us who’ve lost everything. We need to buy many essential items, such as clothes, food and medicine. Previously, we received in-kind assistance, such as hygiene and food baskets, but those cannot meet our needs in the way the multi-purpose cash support does.”
Cash transfers supported Bakri, 65, to meet his own needs with dignity after the 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquakes.
About
This policy briefing explains why adaptive and shock-responsive social protection is essential for enabling the resilience of older people in protracted crises. It sets out the evidence for proven methods for cost-effective impact, from Universal social pensions to local structures like Older People’s Associations.
The UK Government can lead global reform by championing the inclusion of older people in adaptive and shock-responsive social protection systems.
Recommendations
The briefing makes the following recommendations for the UK Government. Read the recommendations in full by downloading the briefing.
- Prioritise inclusion of older people in humanitarian policies and programming
- Expand universal social pensions
- Strengthen access to disability benefits
- Strengthen data disaggregation
- Prioritise inclusive, accessible delivery systems
- Promote gender-transformative social protection
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