Welfare in Sri Lanka

Social welfare has long been an important part of Sri Lankan society and a significant political issue. It is concerned with the provision by the state of benefits and services. Social welfare is mostly funded through general taxation.

Social welfare

Health care

Sri Lanka has a universal health care system that is free for any one using it, including both citizens and non-citizens. It is publicly funded and run by Ministry of Health. This includes both dental care and community medicine.

Social security

Social security benefits are administered by the Department of Social Services. As of 2022, they include:[1]

  • Aswesuma Allowance - for transitional, vulnerable, poor, and extremely poor families.
  • Samurdhi Allowance - for low income families.
  • Pregnant Mother's Allowance
  • Elderly, Disabled, and Kidney Aatients Allowance

State housing and land

The government provides State housing and land to those in need.

The government has provided subsidised lands, housing projects (Nila Piyasa, Nila Sevana) and concessionary housing loans for state sector employees. [2]

Education

Primary and secondary education is free in Sri Lanka and is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and the Provincial Governments. Undergraduate education in state universities are free, but limited to less than 10% of the student population.

Free school uniforms

In 1991, the government under President Ranasinghe Premadasa introduced a program to provide free uniforms for school children. This has later expanded to include vouchers for school shoes.[3]

Mahapola Scholarship

The Mahapola Scholarship Scheme was established in 1981 by Trade Minister Lalith Athulathmudali to provide financial assistance to unprivileged youth for higher education.[4]

Pensions

Government pensions

State sector, some state owned and private sector organizations provides pensions for employees who retire at that ages between 55 and 62 years, having complete a number of years of service (e.g. 30 years). Pensions are granted after lesser terms of service for certain groups such as member of parliaments (5 years) and military personnel (10 years).

Superannuation

Private provident funds existed in the private sector, with some companies contributing on a voluntary basis until 1958, when the Employees' Provident Fund was established by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike following the enactment of the Employees' Provident Fund Act No 15 of 1958 which established the Employees' Provident Fund which made it compulsory for all employers and employees to contribute if not employed in a pensionable role. This was further supplemented by the Employees' Trust Fund in 1981.

Per the Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) Act, females are entitled for paid maternity leave in both the state and private sector with the employer responsible for payment of their wages during the period of leave. In addition, mothers are allowed a daily time allowance to feed babies until they reach one year of age.[5]

Food welfare

Rice ration scheme

During World War II the Government of Ceylon introduced a rice ration scheme as a food subsidy to control price inflation issued on ration cards. This scheme provided a universal weekly quota of free rice to all citizens. It was continued after the war ended in 1945 and Ceylon gained self-rule in 1948, as a means of cost-of-living control by heavily subsidized this staple grain. As the years progressed the program became a major strain for the government finances until it was replaced in 1979 by food stamps.[6][7] Attempts to stop the program earlier in 1953 due to the government's financial position, since Ceylon at the time imported a major portion of its rice, lead to the 1953 Ceylonese hartal.[8]

Free school meals

The early school feeding programs started in 1931 by the colonial government, which evolved into a formal mid-day meal after independence. In 1956 the School Biscuit Program was initiated to introduce a fortified biscuit for school children with assistance from USAid. This was expanded to a mid-day meal of a bun introduced by the Minister of Education Wijeyananda Dahanayake who became known as "Banis Mama" (Bun Uncle). These programs alternated between buns, glasses of milk, fortified biscuits, and cooked rice-based meals depending on state budgets and foreign aid partners like the World Food Programme (WFP).[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Sri Lanka 2022 interim budget proposes new targeted welfare system". economynext.com. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  2. ↑ "Public servants to receive increased loan facilities and welfare benefits under Budget 2026".
  3. ↑ "Sri Lanka School Uniform Vouchers". notes.lakdiva.org.lk. Retrieved 2026-08-27.
  4. ↑ Premadasa (12 January 2021). "Mahapola Scholarship reaches 40 years: An achievement of painstaking experience".
  5. ↑ "SHOP AND OFFICE EMPLOYEES (REGULATION OF EMPLOYMENT & REMUNERATION )" (PDF).
  6. ↑ Korale Gedara, Pradeepa; Weerahewa, Jeevika; Kanthilanka, Hemali (2017-03-01). "The evolution of food policy in Sri Lanka: 1948-2017". Journal of Food Science.
  7. ↑ Jeevika, Weerahewa; Sewwandi, Wijetunga, Chatura; Chandra, Babu, Suresh; Nihal, Atapattu (2018-05-23). "Food Policies and Nutrition Transition in Sri Lanka: Historical Trends, Political Regimes, and Options for Interventions". Journal of Food Science. SSRN 3239962.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ "63rd Anniversary of Hartal August 12,1953 Hartal! 'Shoot on sight' Reds re-claiming rice rations ,." Daily Mirror. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  9. ↑ Weerahewa, Jeevika; Korale Gedara, Pradeepa; Kanthilanka, Hemali (2017-01-01), The Evolution of Food Policy in Sri Lanka: 1948–2017, doi:10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.21179-7, ISBN 978-0-08-100596-5, retrieved 2026-08-27
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