Do recipients of cash transfer scheme make the right decisions on household food expenditure? A study from a rural district in Pakistan

Objective: To assess spending by beneficiaries of Benazir Income Support Programme on monthly food commodities, and contribution of the cash grant programme on purchase of nutritious foods. Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional survey of households enrolled in the Benazir Income Support Programme was conducted during July and August, 2013, in Matiari district of the Sindh province of Pakistan. Monthly household food expenditure on food commodities and use of the cash grant on type of food purchased was assessed through structured interviews of the beneficiaries. Results were computed in 2013 Pak rupees and converted to 2018 United States dollar. Women beneficiaries were also interviewed on decision-making regarding the use of the cash grant and on household food expenditure. Results: The survey comprised 421 households. with a mean monthly expenditure on food of Rs 7,577, r 80.73 dollars. Women made decisions on food spending in only 135(32%) households, but in 235(56%) households, women were the primary decision-makers on cash grant spending. Conclusion: Unconditional cash grant did not meaningfully translate into the purchase of nutritious foods even though it played an important role in increasing women's agency.