objectives 
The Malawian Social Cash Transfer Scheme (SCT) is a social protection programme for
ultra poor and labour-constrained households, including people living with HIV ⁄ AIDS (PLWHA).
We aimed to gain insight into respondents’ circumstances prior to becoming transfer beneficiaries
and to examine how PLWHA used transfers to support themselves and their families.
methods We conducted 24 semi-structured qualitative interviews with PLWHA who were also SCT
beneficiaries and living in villages where the scheme was operational in 2008.
results Respondents were destitute and lacked food and basic necessities prior to the transfer. As cash
recipients, the majority of respondents reported positive impacts on health, food security and economic
well-being as well as an improved ability to care for their families.
conclusion Important unanswered programmatic questions persist, such as ‘What is the appropriate
transfer level?’ And ‘Should recipients graduate from the scheme?’ Moreover, the scheme’s long-term
sustainability is still unclear. Nevertheless, this analysis presents evidence describing how PLWHA used
cash transfers to improve their situation and mitigate the impact of HIV ⁄ AIDS on families.
keywords cash transfer, social protection, impact evaluation, economic situation, Africa