Yoksulluk tüm ülkelerin en çok zorlandığı konuların başında yer almaktadır. Çünkü yoksulluk şekil ve tür değiştirerek sürekli yayılmaktadır. Ayrıca yoksul olmanın kriterleri de değişmektedir. Bu yüzden kamu yönetimleri için yoksullukla mücadele gittikçe daha zor şartlarda yürütülmektedir. Yoksullukla mücadelede kamu yönetimlerinin kullandığı politikalardan biri olan sosyal yardımlarla, yoksul kesimlerin bu durumdan kurtulmaları hedeflenmektedir. Ancak sosyal yardımların her geçen gün artan maliyetleri ve kapsamı yanında sürekliliği ve sürdürülebilirliği tartışma konusu oluşturmaktadır. Sadece yoksulluğu yönetmeyi amaçlayan sosyal yardımlar sürdürülebilir yardımlar olarak kabul edilmemekte ve uzun vadede yoksulluğa çözüm üretememektedir. Türkiye’de yoksulluk, öteden beri toplumun hayırseverlik anlayışı üzerinden anlaşılmaya çalışılmıştır. Bu anlayışın bir gereği olarak devletin yoksulluğu önleme politikaları kısmi ve süreksizdir. Ayrıca Türkiye’de yoksulluk ve sosyal yardımlarla ilgili olarak yapılan çalışmalar ve analitik incelemeler çok sınırlıdır. Yapılan çalışmalarda sosyal yardımlar ile tespit edilen sorunlar; sosyal yardımdan faydalananların bu yardımları suiistimali, sosyal yardımların ulaştığı nüfusun kısıtlılığı, sosyal yardım alanında tek yetkili kamu kurumunun olmayışının yarattığı koordinasyon sorunları, sosyal yardımlar için nesnel bir yoksulluk kriterinin olmayışı, sosyal yardım faydalanıcıları ile nesnel kriter ile belirlenecek tüm yoksulların bilgilerinin bulunduğu bir veri tabanının eksikliği, sosyal yardım miktarlarının yetersizliği, istihdama teşvik eden sosyal yardım programlarının azlığı, sosyal hizmet temelli çalışmalara verilen desteğin darlığı, özel sektör ve sivil toplum kuruluşlarıyla işbirliğinin eksikliği olarak görülmektedir. Bu çalışmada sosyal yardımların yukarıdaki sorunları eşliğinde yoksullukla mücadelede etkin olup olamayacağına ilişkin konular tartışılmıştır. Yardımseverlik sınırları içerisinde görülmemesi gereken sosyal yardımların etkin olabilmesinin şartları incelenmiştir. Ayrıca kamu yönetimleri için sorun oluşturan bu yardım politikasına ilişkin çeşitli çözüm önerileri getirilmiştir. Bunlar arasında sosyal yardımlarda mükerrerliğin önlenmesi amacıyla, sosyal yardım alanında faaliyet gösteren kurum ve kuruluşlarla koordinasyonun sağlanması, sosyal yardımlar için çerçeve niteliği taşıyan temel bir sosyal yardım yasası çıkarılması, sosyal güvenlik tabanının mümkün olduğu kadar geniş tutulması, sosyal güvenliğe ilişkin kayıt dışı istihdamın kayıt içine alınması ve sosyal yardım kapsamının sosyal güvenlik sisteminin içinde değerlendirilmesi gibi öneriler tartışılmıştır.

Poverty is “pronounced deprivation in well-being.” Typically poverty is then measured by comparing an individual’s income or consumption with some defined threshold below which they are considered to be poor. This is the most conventional view – poverty is seen largely in monetary terms – and is the starting point for most analyses of poverty. Poverty may also be tied to a specific type of consumption; thus someone might be house poor or food poor or health poor. The broadest approach to well-being (and poverty) focuses on the “capability” of the individual to function in society. The poor lack key capabilities, and may have inadequate income or education, or be in poor health, or feel powerless, or lack political freedoms. Thus poverty arises when people lack key capabilities, and so have inadequate income or education, or poor health, or insecurity, or low self confidence, or a sense of powerlessness, or the absence of rights such as freedom of speech. Poverty is one of the most enforced topics for all countries. As a result of some economic and social processes, the incidence of poverty has increased in the country. The effects of financial crises and the process of globalization have caused new forms of poverty in the World. So poverty is constantly growing by changing its shape and type. In addition to this, it varies the criterias of being poor. So fighting poverty is increasingly carried out under difficult conditions for public administrations. Countries are expected to measure and analyze domestic poverty, and to identify and operationalize actions to reduce poverty. This study suggests that it is not sufficient to distrubute social assistances and it is also very important to eradicate global and country poverty with the policies such as international economic stability, encouragement of investments, reducation of inequality, and improvement of instutional capacity. Poverty and social exclusion take complex and multi-dimensional forms which require the mobilisation of a wide range of policies under that overall strategy. Alongside employment policy, social protection has a preeminent role to play, while the importance of other factors such as housing, education, health, information and communications, mobility, security and justice, leisure and culture should also be acknowledged. The structural transformations of the recent decades have caused an increase in poverty and the unequal distribution of income all over the world. The first aim of this study is to analyze the increase in poverty in Turkey and to examine the poverty profile of Turkey with the effects of social assistances. The second aim of the study is to present an assessment about of the social assistances. This study is concerned with the social assistances that ways in which countries provide a guarantee of minimum resources to residents who lack sufficient income from other sources. The topic is “Social assistance' does not have a precise definition internationally or locally. In some countries as Turkey social assistance extends to embrace a wide range of non- resource-tested but categorically-targeted social aid for such groups as orphans, immigrants and older people. Poverty is related to, but distinct from, inequality and vulnerability. Inequality focuses on the distribution of attributes, such as income or consumption, across the whole population. In the context of poverty analysis, inequality requires examination if one believes that the welfare of an individual depends on their economic position relative to others in society. For the purposes of this study, it is defined as the range of benefits and services available to guarantee a minimum (however defined) level of subsistence to people in need, based on a test of resources. In some countries a key element of the social safety net comes through non-contributory citizens' benefits or pensions. These are not discussed in detail unless they are also resource-tested. Data is used in this study on social assistance expenditure are problematic: definitions of what constitutes social assistance expenditure vary and accurate national estimates are not always available. Estimates are presented of expenditure on social assistance as proportions of GDP as a “social protection” and “social security” (as estimated by the OECD). Comparative estimates of the number of people receiving social assistance are also problematic for reasons similar to those for expenditure. Estimates are given of the total numbers of beneficiaries (including dependents) as a proportion of total populations Social protection systems also play a key role. One of these systems like a social assistance which is one of the policies used by public administrations is aimed to get rid of the poor people in this situation. But its continuity and sustainability are matter of debate with the increasing costs and expanding scope of social assistances. Social assistances are not considered as a sustainability aid if only aimed to manage the poverty. These assistances cannot produce long-term solution to poverty. All social assistance schemes have complex administrative structures, but there are important differences between countries in how benefits are organized and delivered. There are also differences of features of social assistance arrangements which might influence labor supply behavior, including how long people might be entitled to unemployment insurance, unemployment assistance and social assistances. The national social assistance and minimum income schemes are important instruments in social protection policy. In this study there is a need to understand to what extent reliance on assistance has been increasing. what patterns have emerged in how schemes are organised, and how successful policy approaches to common problems have been in social assistances. Some previous research has been carried out comparing social assistance schemes in Turkey. In this study; it has been aimed to obtain new datas about social assistances for fighting poverty on whether to actively or not. Also it has been discussed the validity of social assistances. It has been shown what kind of problems is related to implementation of social assistance which is not seen within the boundaries of the charity. At the end of this study, various solutions are presented about this assistance policy which has created a problem for public authorities. The study will conclude with a discussion of key findings about social assistance policy and policy implications on the issue.