Being Listed in DTSEN Does Not Guarantee Social Assistance, BPS Clarifies Decile System
Being included in the National Single Social and Economic Data (DTSEN) or being recorded in a specific decile group does not necessarily make a person a recipient of social assistance. The Indonesian Central Statistics Agency (BPS) has emphasised that DTSEN is not a list of people who automatically receive social aid from the government.
This clarification is crucial as there remains a misconception that those recorded in DTSEN, including those in deciles 1 to 4, are certainly recipients of aid. In reality, the function of DTS/TSEN is much broader, serving as the socio-economic database for the Indonesian population.
The Head of BPS RI, Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, explained that DTSEN is a social registry, not a beneficiary registry specifically containing a list of aid recipients.
“DTSEN contains a registration or database that is a collection of all Indonesian residents with NIK (National Identity Number) and KK (Family Card) which we consolidate into a single data set,” explained Amalia.
This means that an individual may be recorded in DTSEN without automatically receiving PKH (Family Hope Program), food assistance, or other government programmes.
Being in a Decile Does Not Mean Being a Recipient of Social Aid
Amalia explained that the determination of aid recipients is carried out by the ministries or agencies implementing each respective programme. They possess their own specific criteria and requirements before deciding who is entitled to receive benefits.
“The list of aid, or the beneficiary registry, is determined by each relevant minister according to their respective policies,” stated Amalia.
As an illustration, a government programme may use a specific decile group as one of its targets. However, an individual’s position within that decile remains no guarantee that aid will be received immediately.
Thus, the term ‘decile’ is more accurately understood as a grouping of the socio-economic conditions of the community. Meanwhile, decisions regarding aid recipients depend on the rules and needs of each specific programme.
DTSEN Data Is Subject to Change
BPS also emphasised that DTSEN is not permanent data. The economic condition of a family can change over time, so the data must be continuously updated to reflect the actual situation.
Amalia noted that the public plays a role in ensuring that the recorded data is accurate. Updates are necessary so that the government does not err in identifying groups that require intervention.