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Globally, there is a frantic rush to establish social assistance programmes such as Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), which are viewed as a panacea for poverty reduction. Nonetheless, prior research ignored the critical issue of exiting these programmes, which is essential given the likelihood of scheme dependency. As a result, this study employs a concurrent mixed methods design to examine LEAP exit. Three hundred and two LEAP beneficiaries were included in the sample. Primary data were gathered through the administration of questionnaires and an interview guide, whereas secondary data were gathered from LEAP policy documents. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a hypothesis test for two independent proportions, the Mann-Whitney U test, thematic and content analysis. The study discovered that there was limited awareness regarding exit strategies. While some beneficiaries met the exit requirement, they did not graduate. To ensure a sustainable exit from LEAP, complementary services must be ensured. The unique contribution of this study is that it brings to light a previously unrecognized issue of social assistance programme exit (in this case, LEAP) by demonstrating that some beneficiaries had reached the exit threshold, thereby paving the way for enrolment of new eligible beneficiaries and saving the state from spending its scarce funds on those who do not need it anymore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme was established in Ghana to tackle poverty, yet studies on LEAP yielded inconclusive results on its effects. This article reports on an assessment of the effects of LEAP on poverty reduction, using an "after-only" study design. Results suggest that beneficiaries saw improvement in food consumption, income levels, savings levels, access to healthcare, and school attendance following participation in LEAP. The study concludes that LEAP contributed to poverty reduction as it enhanced beneficiaries' living conditions. It recommends that LEAP targeting be based on the Ghana National Household Registry's database to eliminate inclusion errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social cash transfers as a strategy for poverty reduction acquired prominence in Latin America but spread later to the rest of the developing world because earlier poverty reduction strategies did not make many gains. Most studies on cash transfer schemes seem tilted towards evaluating their impacts while neglecting the arguments surrounding their design and operations. As such, this paper reviews some of the debates that engulf social cash transfers as a form of social assistance. The review showed that debates about social cash transfers generally centre on targeting, affordability, conditionalities, poverty reduction ability, utilisation of cash, market effect, cash versus food stamp, and dependency. It is concluded that the debates are crucial as they lay the pedestal upon which policy makers take the decision as to whether to set up, change or end an existing cash transfer programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]