The Effect of Family Hope Program (PKH) Assistance on Improving the Welfare of Poor Families in Gampong Tu, Panteraja District, Pidie Jaya Regency

Figure Ilustration AI

FORMOSA NEWS - Medan - Government Cash Assistance Boosts Welfare for Rural Families in Pidie Jaya, Study Finds. In 2026, researchers Intan Humaira, Siti Maisyarah, Yosie Gabriela Panjaitan, and Ayu Angelina Pasaribu from Universitas Senior Medan published a comprehensive study investigating the real-world impacts of conditional social assistance. The research examined how the Family Hope Program (PKH) influences the standard of living and overall welfare of low-income households in Gampong Tu, Panteraja District, Pidie Jaya Regency. By evaluating household data, the study underscores how targeted government interventions help alleviate rural poverty and drive human capital development.

Understanding the Socioeconomic Context

Poverty remains a persistent structural and multidimensional challenge in Indonesia, restricting household access to adequate nutrition, education, and healthcare. National statistics indicate that rural areas experience a disproportionate share of poverty due to informal livelihoods, seasonal agricultural work, and general economic vulnerability. To counter these vulnerabilities, the Indonesian government administers the Family Hope Program (PKH) through the Ministry of Social Affairs, delivering conditional cash transfers to eligible low-income families. Beyond short-term financial relief, the program functions as a strategic investment in human capital designed to break intergenerational poverty cycles by enforcing health and educational commitments. However, verifying the local empirical effectiveness of these cash transfers in rural communities like Gampong Tu remains essential for measuring tangible community development.

Simple Research Methods for Clear Insights
To uncover how financial support translates into better living standards, the researchers utilized a quantitative, causal-associative research design.

• The study employed a total sampling method, including all 88 registered Family Hope Program beneficiary families (KPM) in Gampong Tu as participants.
  
• Primary data was gathered using structured questionnaires based on a five-point Likert scale, supported by field interviews and official community documentation.
  
• Prior to evaluation, instrument validity and reliability were thoroughly tested to guarantee data integrity.
  
• The analytical approach relied on simple linear regression processed via SPSS version 25 to evaluate the direct relationship between program execution and family welfare.
  

Key Findings on Welfare and Financial Relief
The analysis yielded clear, statistically verified results demonstrating the powerful role of government assistance in rural households:

• Positive Statistical Correlation: The simple linear regression established a strong positive relationship, yielding a regression coefficient of 0.610 for PKH assistance, confirmed by a significant $t$-statistic of 9.319 ($p = 0.000$). This indicates that effective program delivery directly elevates household welfare scores.
  
• Explanatory Power: The coefficient of determination ($R^2$) reached 0.502, proving that Family Hope Program assistance accounts for 50.2% of the variation in poor family welfare improvements, while the remaining 49.8% is shaped by external variables such as baseline education, employment, and regional economic factors.
  
• Tangible Household Benefits: Beneficiaries reported major improvements in daily food security, reduced household expenditure pressures, smoother coverage of school costs (books, uniforms, and stationery), and improved access to essential health services at local community health centers (puskesmas and posyandu).
  

Real-World Implications and Policy Impact
The findings carry critical takeaways for policymakers, regional governments, and community leaders. While cash transfers offer vital short-term relief, long-term poverty eradication requires structural integration. Local governments should pair financial aid with economic empowerment initiatives, such as vocational training programs, productive micro-business grants, and financial literacy workshops. These measures help families build economic independence and gradually transition away from long-term social assistance dependency. Furthermore, regional authorities must regularly update beneficiary databases to eliminate targeting errors and ensure that aid reaches the most vulnerable residents.

Authors
Intan Humaira, S.M., M.Si. – Principal investigator and corresponding author from Universitas Senior Medan, has in-depth expertise in public economics, social development, and rural poverty alleviation policies.
Siti Maisyarah, Yosie Gabriela Panjaitan, and Ayu Angelina Pasaribu – A team of researchers and academics from Medan Senior University who are actively researching strategic issues related to public administration, micro- and macroeconomics, and social welfare.

Source
Intan Humaira, Siti Maisyarah, Yosie Gabriela Panjaitan, dan Ayu Angelina Pasaribu. Dampak Bantuan Program Harapan Keluarga (PKH) dalam Meningkatkan Kesejahteraan Keluarga Miskin di Gampong Tu, Distrik Panteraja, Kabupaten Pidie Jaya (The Effect of Family Hope Program (PKH) Assistance on Improving the Welfare of Poor Families in Gampong Tu, Panteraja District, Pidie Jaya Regency). Formosa Journal of Applied Sciences (FJAS), Vol. 5, No. 9, 2026, halaman 2107–2124.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/fjas.v5i9.114
URL Resmi Jurnal: https://journalfjas.my.id/index.php/fjas.