Examination of "Pending Bill" Campaigns in Turkey During Covid-19: the Poverty-Assistance Vulnerability

Abstract

The digitalization process has been accelerated dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic. Governments have been involved in making digital resources that fill the gaps left by analogue activities from maintaining money or food supply to enabling support for vulnerable households. Seven municipalities in Turkey have launched online "Pending Bill" campaigns to support needy families that benevolent citizens can pay their bills anonymously on campaigns' website. ICTs, internet connection and digital literacy are required to apply for these aids. However, the 2021 report of Turkish Statistical Institute [1](TurkStat) on ICT use of households shows that the great majority of people disagree to manage and deal with public services by exploiting the capabilities offered by digital technologies. This paper opens a discussion on "the Poverty-Assistance Paradox" based on the question to what extent digital social assistance programs can be designed for vulnerable people. The analysis is based on the user comments under the titles related to pending bill campaigns in the most visited collaborative dictionary [2] in Turkey, "Eksi Sozluk".