This paper investigates the effectiveness of social assistance policies on subjective well-being (SWB) in the case of Kazakhstan. For this purpose, we explore the policy changes of 2019 and 2020 in regard to social assistance using difference in differences (DiD) statistical techniques. The empirical results support the previous studies that found, in the short run, the recipients of social assistance exhibit relatively higher levels of subjective well-being. We find that social assistance brings an incremental increase in Happiness for the recipients who are disabled and female, whilst a positive increase is seen under Life Satisfaction for the recipients with disabilities. As the number of disabled household members increases, we see a decrease in the subjective well-being indices. Moreover, by assessing the age groups, we find that the short-run positive impact of social assistance on Happiness disappears for the recipients who are below 44 years of age. By gender, no statistical significance has been found amongst female recipients either in Happiness or Life Satisfaction.

How Policy Shifts Affect Everyday Wellbeing

This study examines how rapid and frequent changes in Kazakhstan’s targeted social assistance between 2018–2020 affected subjective wellbeing an aspect often overlooked in assessments of post-Soviet welfare reforms.

Key Findings

• Expanded social assistance temporarily improved financial conditions for low-income households.

• However, frequent and abrupt policy changes generated:

• Confusion

• Uncertainty

• Perceptions of unfairness

• Lower trust in state institutions

• Satisfaction was higher among recipients who experienced stable, predictable support and clear communication.

• Wellbeing declined among those facing irregular payments, changing eligibility, or administrative barriers.

Implications

The study shows that social assistance policies shape much more than income they affect people’s sense of:

• Stability

• Predictability

• Fairness
  These psychological factors are critical for overall wellbeing and for the perceived legitimacy of social policy.