Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – As Morocco deepens the rollout of its direct social support system, authorities say they are moving toward a more precise, data-driven approach to identifying beneficiaries while securing long-term funding for what has become one of the country’s largest social protection programs.
In a written response to parliamentary deputy Idriss Sentissi of the Haraki Group in November, the government detailed the evolution of the targeting mechanisms underpinning the Direct Social Support Program, as well as the financial architecture sustaining it since its launch at the end of 2023.
The program is part of the second phase of the broader social protection reform launched under the framework law on social protection. According to the response, the initiative aims to support vulnerable and low-income households while addressing risks linked to childhood, school dropout, aging, and disability.
“The Direct Social Support Program constitutes a central pillar in consolidating the foundations of the social state,” the government stated, adding that it seeks to improve living conditions for households facing structural vulnerability.
The response to the MP’s question is based on concrete, verifiable data produced and consolidated by the National Agency for Social Support (ANSS), which oversees the operational rollout of the Direct Social Support Program.
Through this data-driven approach, the agency sits at the core of Morocco’s social protection reform, translating national objectives into measurable action. Since its inception, the ANSS has worked to address poverty, social inequalities, and human development outcomes, while supporting Morocco’s ambition to rank among the leading countries in the MENA region in terms of social coverage.
Broad coverage, differentiated support
Authorities estimate that around 60% of the population not covered by family allowance schemes may benefit from the program, depending on household circumstances. The assistance provided takes several forms.
Families with children under the age of 21 are eligible for monthly allowances whose amounts vary according to the child’s age and school attendance, with a cap of six children per household. Additional support is granted in cases of disability or paternal orphanhood.
The program also includes birth grants, MAD 2,000 for the first child and MAD 1,000 for the second, as well as an annual school entry allowance paid each September.
Households without dependent children, particularly those including elderly members in vulnerable situations, may receive a flat-rate allowance intended to bolster purchasing power. A separate form of assistance targets orphaned and abandoned children living in social care institutions.
Eligibility combines socio-economic criteria, determined through household scoring, and regulatory conditions, including the prohibition on receiving overlapping forms of public support.
From category-based aid to data-driven targeting
At the core of the reform is a shift away from category-based targeting, previously linked to eligibility for the former RAMED medical assistance scheme.
In its place, the government has introduced a unified targeting system designed to ensure that support reaches households deemed most in need.
“This new system represents the reference framework for access to social support programs,” the response noted, including both direct cash transfers and mandatory basic health insurance for individuals unable to pay contributions.
The system is governed by Law 72.18 and relies on two key databases: the National Population Register (RNP) and the Unified Social Register (RSU). Registration in the RSU generates a household-specific score based on a set of socio-economic indicators defined through empirical studies.
Scoring formulas differ between urban and rural settings. The calculation relies on 35 variables in urban settings while rural scoring uses 28, with both models incorporating fixed coefficients linked to territorial context and region.
According to the government, “the weights assigned to each variable are based on the results of precise field studies,” and the indicators remain subject to revision when necessary.
“This flexibility ensures objectivity and removes any subjective or non-neutral considerations,” the response said.
Continuous verification, annual updates
Data accuracy remains central to the system’s functioning. The National Agency for Registers conducts verification checks using information shared by public administrations, local authorities, and relevant public and private institutions.
Household data are updated at least once a year, either following changes declared by beneficiaries or based on information received from partner institutions. Monthly electronic data exchanges allow managing bodies to verify ongoing eligibility.
Under Article 16 of Law 72.18, public entities involved in the program are required to implement revised scoring decisions and ensure that eligible households benefit from support starting from the date they qualify.
Adjusting to socio-economic change
Authorities also signaled that the targeting framework itself may evolve. Drawing on data from the 2024 General Population and Housing Census and recent household living standards surveys, the government is examining the possibility of updating the scoring methodology.
This process aims to “ensure more effective targeting of households genuinely entitled to social programs,” the response said, while improving the system’s capacity to absorb socio-economic change and territorial disparities.
Sustaining a costly reform
Financing remains a central challenge. Since the program’s launch in December 2023, the government says it has transferred approximately MAD 44.6 billion to beneficiary households by the end of September 2025.
These expenditures are financed through the Social Protection and Social Cohesion Support Fund, which pools resources dedicated to solidarity-based mechanisms. Its revenues include contributions on gambling profits introduced in the 2025 finance law, proceeds from the asset regularization scheme created under the 2024 finance law, and solidarity contributions on corporate profits and income.
The restructuring of existing social assistance programs has also played a role. According to the government, the rationalization and consolidation of prior schemes freed nearly MAD 15 billion, which were redirected toward the broader social protection reform and the direct support program in particular.
“The government remains committed to mobilizing all necessary resources to finance the social protection reform,” the response said, citing efforts to diversify funding sources and contain expenditures through program alignment and efficiency measures.
From cash transfers to social integration
Beyond financial assistance, the authorities see the program as a lever for longer-term social and economic integration. The government’s ultimate hope is for the ANSS to deliver on its promise of translating financial aid into measurable and lasting social outcomes.
To this end, territorial representations staffed by social facilitators are being established to work directly with beneficiary households. Their role includes monitoring school attendance, maternal and child health, and supporting families in reducing vulnerability.
“These representations will contribute to accompanying households toward sustainable exits from poverty,” the government said, adding that economic integration pathways are also being developed to enhance skills, reduce barriers to employment, and encourage responsible participation in labor market initiatives.
Pilot territorial units have already been launched and will undergo evaluation before wider deployment. In parallel, the agency is building a system to monitor program effectiveness and assess its impact on human development indicators at the local level.
According to the government, the objective is to ensure that direct social support evolves from a financial mechanism into “a tool that contributes to integrated territorial development” while ensuring proximity, accountability, and measurable outcomes.
