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Who could help a household through a hot season

Heat cuts the hours people can safely work and brings costs for care. Public schemes can cushion part of that shock. 55 schemes in 6 countries, what is known about who they reach, and where nothing responds.

This is not an eligibility check. Rules change often and differ by place, so each scheme shows the date its status applies to; check with the scheme before relying on it. Households appear here only in aggregate.

Why heat reaches household budgets

Heat cuts the hours people can safely work, and illness brings costs and lost days. On the map these are Lost work hours and wages, Medical costs and debt and Heatstroke and heat exhaustion. Public schemes can cushion part of that shock. What the studies show:

Bangladesh: UNCERTAIN, self-reported: the simulation delivered a BDT 2,400 top-up. It demonstrates a tested delivery route, not a measured reduction in heat illness or lost income. unclear Limit: No independent causal heat-outcome assessment; report date and citation year differ.
Sources: Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and implementing partners, 2026: When social protection anticipates risk: Lessons from a shock responsive social protection simulation in Rajshahi city, Bangladesh (opens in a new tab)
Bangladesh: UNCERTAIN, self-reported: heat cash delivery occurred. The update also reports cooling and first-aid activities, without isolating the effects of cash. unclear Limit: Operational update without a comparison group or measured income, debt or mortality effect.
Sources: Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, 2024: Nationwide Heatwave Early Actions/Response: Operations Update-01; 27 April, 2024 (opens in a new tab)
Bangladesh: KNOWN study estimate: adjusted out-of-pocket expenditure was 33% lower in intervention areas. This is contextual health-financing evidence, not a heat-specific effect. helped Limit: Cross-sectional design, recall periods and unmeasured forgone care limit causal interpretation.
Sources: Hasan et al., 2024: The effectiveness of a government-sponsored health protection scheme in reducing financial risks for the below-poverty-line population in Bangladesh (opens in a new tab)
Bangladesh: KNOWN trial findings, with wider transfer to heat INFERRED: earlier cash improved some early food-security and psychosocial outcomes. Later borrowing, savings and asset outcomes did not show statistically significant effects. mixed Limit: Working paper, not a peer-reviewed heat study; incomplete outcome timing limits some recovery comparisons.
Sources: Christian et al., 2025: Fast Action for Floods: RCT Evidence on Forecast-based Cash Transfers from Bangladesh and Nepal (opens in a new tab)
India: KNOWN: net earnings were 40% lower during two study-period heatwaves. unclear Limit: Short observational panel; airport-station weather and self-reported health. No social-protection treatment evaluated.
Sources: Das and Somanathan, 2024: Heat causes large earnings losses for informal-sector workers in India (opens in a new tab)
India: KNOWN: project page describes planned measurement of labour supply, financial decisions, health, consumption and adaptation; no completed effects. unclear Limit: Design rather than results; SEWA-linked insurance is not a public entitlement.
Sources: Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, 2025: Insuring Against Extreme Heat: A Randomised Evaluation (opens in a new tab)
Indonesia: KNOWN study estimates: visits on days above 30 degrees C mean temperature rose by 8% overall, 25% for diabetes and 14% for cardiovascular disease versus 25.5-27 degrees C. No respiratory-visit increase was found. mixed Limit: Insurance users only; diagnoses cannot distinguish first diagnosis from continued treatment. This estimates heat-related service use, not the effect of insurance on heat harm.
Sources: Fritz, 2022: Temperature and non-communicable diseases: Evidence from Indonesia's primary health care system (opens in a new tab)
Indonesia: KNOWN evaluation findings: assisted registration and subsidies increased enrolment; extra information had no effect. These are access outcomes, with heat applicability INFERRED. mixed Limit: Historic urban non-poor informal-worker sample; no heat-related income, illness or mortality estimate.
Sources: J-PAL: Enrolling Informal Sector Workers in National Health Insurance in Indonesia (opens in a new tab)
Indonesia: KNOWN study findings: stunting fell by 23 percent after six years; consumption, household-head employment and land/livestock ownership did not increase. Heat outcomes were not tested. mixed Limit: Publisher abstract and evaluation summary were read, not the full paper. Historical rollout is not evidence of 2026 heat responsiveness.
Sources: J-PAL: The Medium-Term Impact of Conditional Cash Transfers on Health and Education in Indonesia (opens in a new tab) · Cahyadi et al., 2020: Cumulative Impacts of Conditional Cash Transfer Programs: Experimental Evidence from Indonesia (opens in a new tab)
Nepal: KNOWN descriptive result: 43% had heard of heatwaves. This maps a communication gap among exposed workers; it does not estimate a social-protection effect. unclear Limit: Selected locations, cross-sectional design and self-reported experiences limit generalisation and causality.
Sources: Sharma et al., 2025: Exploring outdoor workers’ knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceived risks of heatwaves in Nepal (opens in a new tab)
Nepal: KNOWN approved plan: an urban heatwave protocol sets out cash and support activities. It supplies a possible route, with no completed impact result in the document read. unclear Limit: Protocol approval is not activation, receipt, a standing public entitlement or an evaluation.
Sources: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies / Nepal Red Cross Society, 2025: Simplified Early Action Protocol: Nepal | Urban Heatwave (opens in a new tab)
Nepal: KNOWN trial findings, with heat applicability INFERRED: some early food-security and psychosocial outcomes improved. Later borrowing, savings and asset effects were not statistically significant. mixed Limit: Working paper and flood evidence; no statistically significant estimate does not establish zero effect, and it does not establish a heat effect.
Sources: Christian et al., 2025: Fast Action for Floods: RCT Evidence on Forecast-based Cash Transfers from Bangladesh and Nepal (opens in a new tab)
Singapore: INFERRED monetary valuation: productivity loss corresponded to a median S$21 per worker per hot day. This is not observed wage loss; workplace and station WBGT agreement declined as heat increased. unclear Limit: University research summary rather than the full underlying papers; no social-protection treatment comparison or heat-benefit effect.
Sources: National University of Singapore Medicine, 2024: Heat stress causes lower fertility, productivity and reduced cognitive capacity: Project HeatSafe (opens in a new tab)
Singapore: KNOWN agency-reported perceptions: 92% reported accessible/convenient care and over 96% satisfaction. This describes a migrant care route, without a heat-specific outcome or causal comparator. unclear Limit: Release gives no survey sample or full methods; new PCP provisions start April 2027 and are not evaluated 2026 effects.
Sources: Ministry of Manpower, 2026: Enhanced Primary Care Plan brings healthcare closer to migrant workers while lowering or maintaining costs for almost all employers (opens in a new tab)
Singapore: KNOWN policy finding: work-related heat illness can lead to compensation claims; specified hourly heat-rest breaks are considered paid working hours. No measured paid-claim or mortality effect is stated. unclear Limit: Policy evidence, not an impact study or actual receipt measure; entitlement depends on covered work and claim conditions.
Sources: Ministry of Manpower: FAQs on Heat stress measures for outdoor work (opens in a new tab) · Ministry of Manpower, 2025: Updated coverage of reportable and compensable occupational diseases (ODs) under WSHA and WICA (opens in a new tab)
Thailand: UNCERTAIN self-report: a heat-triggered insurance pilot offered THB300 daily assistance against a THB100 contribution. Payout triggers were reportedly reached in some provinces; no independently measured household effect was read. unclear Limit: The policy contract and final evaluation were not opened; inconsistent payout-cap wording prevents a reliable total payout-day claim.
Sources: HomeNet International, 2026: HomeNet Thailand Runs a Pilot Extreme Heat Insurance Project for Informal Economy Workers (opens in a new tab)
Thailand: UNCERTAIN self-reported experiences: women described heat-related earnings and health pressures. The summary identifies a shock pathway, without estimating an insurance or public-transfer effect. unclear Limit: Own partner summary only; full report methods and its own stated limits were not verified because the attachment was too large for the reader.
Sources: Prudence Foundation / HERA, 2026: How Extreme Heat is Reshaping Women's Lives in Thailand (opens in a new tab)

Steps of access

Between a scheme existing and a household receiving enough, on time, lie eight steps: aware, eligible, documented, applied, enrolled, received, adequate, on time. Where a step has been measured, the finding is shown with who was counted. The findings come from different studies of different people, so they are not one funnel.

Bangladesh

Aware
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Eligible
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Documented
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Applied
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Enrolled
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Received
Implementers report 301 recipients received a BDT 2,400 top-up in August 2025. Simulation participants in Ward 4, Rajshahi. Selected simulation participants; no population access denominator or independent outcome evaluation.
Sources: Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and implementing partners, 2026: When social protection anticipates risk: Lessons from a shock responsive social protection simulation in Rajshahi city, Bangladesh (opens in a new tab)
Implementer update: 1,290 households had received multipurpose cash by 27 April 2024. Selected Dhaka households. The 4,000-household figure is a target, not the receipt count in this update.
Sources: Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, 2024: Nationwide Heatwave Early Actions/Response: Operations Update-01; 27 April, 2024 (opens in a new tab)
Adequate
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
On time
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step

India

Aware
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Eligible
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Documented
India, 31 October 2025: 68,14,95,972 beneficiaries completed e-KYC, stated as 85.6%. Existing NFSA beneficiaries. e-KYC is neither receipt nor every documentation requirement.
Sources: Department of Food and Public Distribution, 2025: E-KYC COMPLIANT RATION CARDS (opens in a new tab)
Applied
December 2025 parliamentary reply: the Department does not maintain the pendency list. Households awaiting a card or addition of members. Describes the central record; state records may exist.
Sources: Department of Food and Public Distribution, 2025: E-KYC COMPLIANT RATION CARDS (opens in a new tab)
Enrolled
India, NFHS-5, 2019-21: 41.0% had any usual member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme. Households across health insurance and financing schemes. Self-reported household coverage; not a PM-JAY enrolment rate or evidence of care received.
Sources: International Institute for Population Sciences and ICF, 2022: National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21: India (opens in a new tab)
Received
India, as of 30 June 2026: 29.05 lakh inter-state portability hospital admissions authorised. Beneficiaries accessing care outside their home state. Authorisations are a proxy, not unique people or verified completed care; no heat-specific costs measured.
Sources: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2026: Update on Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB PM-JAY) (opens in a new tab)
India, 1 April to 2 December 2025: women accounted for 56.73% of person-days. Women in historical MGNREGA. Work participation proxy, not wage receipt or eligible-women coverage.
Sources: Ministry of Rural Development, 2026: Department of Rural Development: Year Ender 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Adequate
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
On time
India, 1 April to 2 December 2025: 95.31% of fund transfer orders generated within 8 days. Historical MGNREGA workers. Administrative stage, not bank receipt; predates July 2026 transition.
Sources: Ministry of Rural Development, 2026: Department of Rural Development: Year Ender 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Indonesia

Aware
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Eligible
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Documented
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Applied
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Enrolled
Evaluation of 5,996 households: registration assistance increased enrolment by 3.5 percentage points. Non-poor informal-worker households in Bandung and Medan. Historical randomised offer, not current national access; page narrative describes 2015-2018.
Sources: J-PAL: Enrolling Informal Sector Workers in National Health Insurance in Indonesia (opens in a new tab)
Full subsidy increased enrolment by 18.6 percentage points from a comparison mean of 7.8 percent. Same historical evaluation population. Subsidy experiment; not a 2026 policy coverage estimate.
Sources: J-PAL: Enrolling Informal Sector Workers in National Health Insurance in Indonesia (opens in a new tab)
Additional information had no measured effect on enrolment. Same historical evaluation population. Specific information treatments and historical urban sample; not proof that all awareness work has no effect.
Sources: J-PAL: Enrolling Informal Sector Workers in National Health Insurance in Indonesia (opens in a new tab)
Received
Government report, 7 August 2026: more than 7 million families had been paid in quarter III. Programme families. Interim national administrative report; no eligible-family denominator or heat subgroup.
Sources: Ministry of State Secretariat, 2026: Pastikan Tepat Sasaran, Pemerintah Salurkan Bansos kepada Lebih dari 18 Juta KPM (opens in a new tab)
Government report, 7 August 2026: more than 12 million families had been paid in quarter III. Programme families. Not a completed-quarter count; cannot sum overlapping schemes.
Sources: Ministry of State Secretariat, 2026: Pastikan Tepat Sasaran, Pemerintah Salurkan Bansos kepada Lebih dari 18 Juta KPM (opens in a new tab)
Adequate
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
On time
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step

Nepal

Aware
2023, before informal-sector launch: 9 percent knew of SSF. Informal workers in the urban parental-benefits survey. Urban sample with a parental-benefits focus; pre-launch awareness is not current national awareness.
Sources: World Bank, 2025: De Jure and De Facto Coverage of Parental Benefits in Nepal (opens in a new tab)
2023: 7 percent of women knew of SSF. Women informal workers in the same survey. Same pre-launch and urban-sample limits.
Sources: World Bank, 2025: De Jure and De Facto Coverage of Parental Benefits in Nepal (opens in a new tab)
2023: 15 percent of men knew of SSF. Men informal workers in the same survey. Same pre-launch and urban-sample limits.
Sources: World Bank, 2025: De Jure and De Facto Coverage of Parental Benefits in Nepal (opens in a new tab)
Eligible
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Documented
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Applied
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Enrolled
ILO report dated 24 December 2025: about 1500 informal and self-employed registrants. Informal and self-employed workers. Mixed informal and self-employed categories; no eligible population or benefit-receipt denominator.
Sources: International Labour Organization, 2025: Nepal launches national campaign to bring informal workers into social security (opens in a new tab)
Received
2023 survey: only 6 percent of informal parents received cash benefits at the last birth. Informal parents in the same survey. Not heat support or current SSF receipt; childbirth may predate the survey.
Sources: World Bank, 2025: De Jure and De Facto Coverage of Parental Benefits in Nepal (opens in a new tab)
Adequate
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
On time
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step

Singapore

Aware
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Eligible
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Documented
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Applied
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Enrolled
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Received
2024: 20825 households received ComCare SMTA. Assisted households, national. Household receipt, not the share of eligible households reached, persons protected or a heat subgroup.
Sources: Ministry of Social and Family Development / Singapore Department of Statistics, 2026: Households Assisted Through Comcare Schemes, Annual (opens in a new tab)
2024: 3240 households received ComCare LTA. Assisted households, national. Historical national series; other household members are not necessarily benefit recipients.
Sources: Ministry of Social and Family Development / Singapore Department of Statistics, 2026: Households Assisted Through Comcare Schemes, Annual (opens in a new tab)
2024: overall ComCare household count is 29291. Households across included schemes. Scheme rows can overlap; counts are not additive and no current heat denominator is available.
Sources: Ministry of Social and Family Development / Singapore Department of Statistics, 2026: Households Assisted Through Comcare Schemes, Annual (opens in a new tab)
As at February 2026, up to work year 2025: 1.13 million workers received WIS cumulatively. Lower-income workers, cumulative. Not annual reach, all eligible workers or people exposed to heat.
Sources: Central Provident Fund Board, 2026: Workfare Income Supplement (opens in a new tab)
Adequate
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
On time
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step

Thailand

Aware
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Eligible
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Documented
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Applied
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Enrolled
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Received
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
Adequate
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step
On time
Nobody has measured this here yet, in the sources checked. An open question about this step

Delivery routes and organisations

How support reaches people, in no particular order. What an organisation says about itself is kept apart from what independent studies found.

Bangladesh

Department of Social Services government

Runs allowance systems and the delivery channel used in the Rajshahi simulation. Bangladesh

What it says about itself
No independently verified 2026 receipt total extracted.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Finance Division, Ministry of Finance, 2026: Social Security Budget Report FY2026-27 (opens in a new tab) · Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and implementing partners, 2026: When social protection anticipates risk: Lessons from a shock responsive social protection simulation in Rajshahi city, Bangladesh (opens in a new tab)
Bangladesh Red Crescent Society civil society

Volunteers help assess eligibility and deliver heat-related cash, warnings and services. Dhaka; Rajshahi simulation

What it says about itself
Self-report: 1,290 households received heat cash by 27 April 2024.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

In the heat network
Sources: Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and implementing partners, 2026: When social protection anticipates risk: Lessons from a shock responsive social protection simulation in Rajshahi city, Bangladesh (opens in a new tab) · Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, 2024: Nationwide Heatwave Early Actions/Response: Operations Update-01; 27 April, 2024 (opens in a new tab)
Bangladesh Post Office government

Electronic money transfer is described as an anticipatory-action payment route. Bangladesh

What it says about itself
No comparable reach count extracted.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2025: EARLY ACTION PROTOCOL SUMMARY: Bangladesh | Cold Wave (opens in a new tab)
Nagad financial

Mobile money route reported for the 2024 heatwave cash operation. Bangladesh

What it says about itself
No independently verified heat-payment reach extracted.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2025: EARLY ACTION PROTOCOL SUMMARY: Bangladesh | Cold Wave (opens in a new tab)
Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies civil society

Reports worker social-protection dialogue and advocacy for informal-worker inclusion. Bangladesh

What it says about itself
Activity reported on 29 September 2026; no application-success count extracted.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, 2026: BILS calls to include informal sector in the Employment Injury Scheme (opens in a new tab)

India

Common Service Centres government

Provide assisted registration, authentication and applications for specified schemes. India

What it says about itself
No consistently dated reach figure retained.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Ministry of Labour and Employment: FAQs (opens in a new tab) · Ministry of Labour and Employment, 2025: Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) (opens in a new tab)
Self Employed Women's Association union

Provides organising and enrolment routes for informal women workers in the heat-insurance initiative. India; precise current footprint not verified.

What it says about itself
No independently checked membership or insurance reach retained.

What independent studies found
External page specifies a planned encouragement study; no results. Insuring Against Extreme Heat: A Randomised Evaluation, cycle 2025; design.

In the heat network
Sources: Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, 2025: Insuring Against Extreme Heat: A Randomised Evaluation (opens in a new tab)
India Post Payments Bank financial

Provides an account route for eligible transfers, with Aadhaar seeding through app or post office. India

What it says about itself
No dated reach retained.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: India Post Payments Bank: Direct Benefit Transfers (opens in a new tab)
National Legal Services Authority and local legal services institutions government

Provide eligible legal assistance; paralegal volunteers can help with oral applications and government schemes. India through state, district and local institutions.

What it says about itself
No dated scheme-access reach retained.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: National Legal Services Authority: Legal Aid (opens in a new tab)
Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitras government

Help with PM-JAY verification, cashless admissions and hospital support. Participating hospitals in India.

What it says about itself
Programme admissions are not attributable assistance effects.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2026: Update on Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (AB PM-JAY) (opens in a new tab)
e-Shram digital platform

Registers unorganised workers and connects specified scheme information; registration is not a payment. India

What it says about itself
No dated registration total retained.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Ministry of Labour and Employment: FAQs (opens in a new tab)

Indonesia

PKH social facilitators government

Current government reporting identifies facilitators supporting programme households. Indonesia

What it says about itself
No separate measured heat-season application-success count.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Ministry of State Secretariat, 2026: Pastikan Tepat Sasaran, Pemerintah Salurkan Bansos kepada Lebih dari 18 Juta KPM (opens in a new tab)
PERISAI agents government

BPJS lists assisted document checking and enrolment for non-wage workers. Indonesia

What it says about itself
No comparable independent success rate read.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: BPJS Ketenagakerjaan: Manfaat Bukan Penerima Upah (opens in a new tab)
BRILink and BNI46 agent routes financial

BPJS lists these as enrolment and contribution channels. Indonesia

What it says about itself
No independently evaluated heat outcome verified.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: BPJS Ketenagakerjaan: Manfaat Bukan Penerima Upah (opens in a new tab)

Nepal

Ward offices and local governments government

Receive allowance applications, check documents and maintain registration and transfer processes. Nepal

What it says about itself
No comparable 2026 application-to-receipt count extracted.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Department of National ID and Civil Registration: प्राय सोधिने प्रश्नहरु : सामाजिक सुरक्षा (opens in a new tab)
Banks participating in social allowance payment financial

Provide allowance accounts and collection; FAQ describes arrangements for people needing assistance. Nepal

What it says about itself
No measured heat-season collection or delay total extracted.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Department of National ID and Civil Registration: प्राय सोधिने प्रश्नहरु : सामाजिक सुरक्षा (opens in a new tab)
Health Insurance Board registration assistants government

Help households enrol through ward-level and household contact routes. Nepal

What it says about itself
No verified assisted-enrolment or heat-claim outcome count extracted.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Health Insurance Board: बारम्बार सोधिने प्रश्नहरू (opens in a new tab)
Nepal Red Cross Society civil society

The heatwave protocol assigns volunteer support and cash-delivery tasks. Four protocol municipalities

What it says about itself
Plan: 1,200 households; not a confirmed receipt count.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

In the heat network
Sources: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies / Nepal Red Cross Society, 2025: Simplified Early Action Protocol: Nepal | Urban Heatwave (opens in a new tab)
Female Community Health Volunteers government

The heat protocol includes household contact through frontline volunteers. Protocol locations

What it says about itself
Planned activity only; delivered reach not verified.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies / Nepal Red Cross Society, 2025: Simplified Early Action Protocol: Nepal | Urban Heatwave (opens in a new tab)
Save the Children civil society

Publishes a local-government allowance-access guidance catalogue. Nepal

What it says about itself
No independently verified navigation outcome count extracted.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

In the heat network
Sources: Save the Children, 2026: Ensuring access to social security allowances in Nepal: Guidance for local governments on developing and implementing a standard operating procedure (opens in a new tab)
Social Security Fund government

Operates the contributory route and participates in informal-worker outreach. Nepal

What it says about itself
ILO report, 24 December 2025: about 1500 informal and self-employed registrations.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Social Security Fund: अनौपचारिक क्षेत्र सामाजिक सुरक्षा योजना (opens in a new tab) · International Labour Organization, 2025: Nepal launches national campaign to bring informal workers into social security (opens in a new tab)

Singapore

Central Provident Fund Board government

Uses administrative records and payment channels for worker income support. Singapore

What it says about itself
Cumulative WIS reach is reported separately in section C; not local assistance-provider impact.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Central Provident Fund Board, 2026: Workfare Income Supplement (opens in a new tab)
Medical social workers at MediFund-approved institutions government

Help assess residual medical-bill needs and financing options. Singapore

What it says about itself
No heat-specific assisted-claim or timely receipt count read.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Ministry of Health, 2024: MediFund (opens in a new tab)
Primary Care Plan Anchor Operators government

Deliver contracted primary care, clinic access, telemedicine and service links. Singapore

What it says about itself
MOM reports May 2025 patient-survey perceptions; future 2027 projected reach is not included.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Ministry of Manpower, 2026: Enhanced Primary Care Plan brings healthcare closer to migrant workers while lowering or maintaining costs for almost all employers (opens in a new tab) · Ministry of Manpower: Getting primary care services under the Primary Care Plan (PCP) (opens in a new tab)
HealthServe civil society

Own service pages describe free WICA and medical casework, with administrative and hospital support. Singapore migrant-worker community

What it says about itself
No independently verified heat-specific reach figure extracted.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

In the heat network
Sources: HealthServe: Need help or advice EN (opens in a new tab) · HealthServe: Casework & Social Services (opens in a new tab)
Transient Workers Count Too civil society

Reports casework, social support and multilingual contact routes for migrant workers. Singapore

What it says about itself
Own 2026 page: over 20,000 digital contacts yearly and about 1,500 service-station contacts.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

In the heat network
Sources: Transient Workers Count Too, 2026: Helping workers in need (opens in a new tab)

Thailand

Local administrative organisations government

Operate the older-person allowance route under Ministry of Interior rules. Thailand

What it says about itself
No independent heat-season access evaluation read.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Department of Older Persons: การรับเบี้ยผู้สูงอายุ (opens in a new tab)
District agricultural offices and BAAC government

Support registered growers through damage forms, assessment and crop-relief bank transfers. Thailand

What it says about itself
No independent heat-specific payment count extracted.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: Department of Agricultural Extension, 2026: เกษตรฯ เผย 3 สิ่ง เกษตรกรควรทำ เพื่อรับการช่วยเหลือ เมื่อประสบภัยพิบัติด้านพืช (opens in a new tab)
HomeNet Thailand civil society

Own network report describes enrolling informal workers in a heat insurance pilot and policy dialogue. Pilot across ten provinces

What it says about itself
Self-reported pilot target: 1,000 workers; no audited receipt denominator.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

In the heat network
Sources: HomeNet International, 2026: HomeNet Thailand Runs a Pilot Extreme Heat Insurance Project for Informal Economy Workers (opens in a new tab)
Federation of Informal Workers union

Reported partner in the same worker heat insurance pilot. Thailand pilot

What it says about itself
Same pilot population; this is not an additional reach count.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: HomeNet International, 2026: HomeNet Thailand Runs a Pilot Extreme Heat Insurance Project for Informal Economy Workers (opens in a new tab)
HERA civil society

Reports women-worker heat research and support for heat financial protection. Thailand

What it says about itself
Partner summary reports workshops with 299 women across eight provinces.

What independent studies found
No independent study found in the sources checked.

Sources: HomeNet International, 2026: HomeNet Thailand Runs a Pilot Extreme Heat Insurance Project for Informal Economy Workers (opens in a new tab) · Prudence Foundation / HERA, 2026: How Extreme Heat is Reshaping Women's Lives in Thailand (opens in a new tab)

Where no public system responds

Gaps in the schemes checked here: these are not proof that nothing exists.

Bangladesh

Informal and outdoor workers' heat-related lost earnings: no automatic nationwide public wage-replacement entitlement was verified in the schemes read; targeted allowances and works programmes cover selected groups.
Sources: Finance Division, Ministry of Finance, 2026: Social Security Budget Report FY2026-27 (opens in a new tab) · International Labour Organization: Implementation of a pilot Employment Injury Scheme (EIS) in Bangladesh (opens in a new tab)
General heat illness and outpatient costs: the disease-specific assistance list does not establish general heat coverage; the SSK evaluation does not report heat claims.
Sources: Finance Division, Ministry of Finance, 2026: Social Security Budget Report FY2026-27 (opens in a new tab) · Hasan et al., 2024: The effectiveness of a government-sponsored health protection scheme in reducing financial risks for the below-poverty-line population in Bangladesh (opens in a new tab)
Crop loss and agricultural debt: public rural credit was identified, but no verified heat-triggered payout or debt pause was found in the sources read. This is an evidence gap, not a claim that no agricultural programme exists.
Sources: Finance Division, Ministry of Finance, 2026: Social Security Budget Report FY2026-27 (opens in a new tab)
Seasonal migration: nationwide portability of eligibility, applications and collection was not verified; a digital transfer alone does not establish portability.
Sources: Finance Division, Ministry of Finance, 2026: Social Security Budget Report FY2026-27 (opens in a new tab)
Heat debt, asset sales and mortality: no evaluated public heat transfer effect was found in this bounded search. Flood trial findings do not fill that gap.
Sources: Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and implementing partners, 2026: When social protection anticipates risk: Lessons from a shock responsive social protection simulation in Rajshahi city, Bangladesh (opens in a new tab) · Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, 2024: Nationwide Heatwave Early Actions/Response: Operations Update-01; 27 April, 2024 (opens in a new tab) · Christian et al., 2025: Fast Action for Floods: RCT Evidence on Forecast-based Cash Transfers from Bangladesh and Nepal (opens in a new tab)

India

Income lost while resting: no national automatic heat-triggered informal-worker wage replacement verified. Delhi evidence records earnings losses.
Sources: Das and Somanathan, 2024: Heat causes large earnings losses for informal-sector workers in India (opens in a new tab)
Farm losses outside insurance conditions: PMFBY depends on notification, enrolment and covered risks.
Sources: Press Information Bureau, 2026: Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (opens in a new tab)
Current shocks for new pension entrants: PM-SYM pays from age 60.
Sources: Ministry of Labour and Employment, 2025: Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) (opens in a new tab)
Debt and asset sales: no verified evaluation links public-system receipt to reductions in these heat outcomes.
Anticipatory payments: no current public heat-forecast-triggered cash entitlement with verified rules and receipt established.
Construction workers outside registration: checked Meghalaya benefits depend on the Board's qualifying route.
Sources: Meghalaya Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board: Frequently Asked Questions (opens in a new tab) · Meghalaya Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board: Schemes (opens in a new tab)

Indonesia

Informal heat work stoppages: JKK concerns qualifying work injury and JKP concerns qualifying termination; neither opened rule establishes general pay for every lost hot day.
Sources: BPJS Ketenagakerjaan: Manfaat Bukan Penerima Upah (opens in a new tab) · BPJS Ketenagakerjaan: Cek Informasi Detail Jaminan Kehilangan Pekerjaan (opens in a new tab)
Heat debt, asset sales and mortality: no evaluated public heat-transfer effect was opened. Non-heat PKH null findings are not heat null findings.
Sources: J-PAL: The Medium-Term Impact of Conditional Cash Transfers on Health and Education in Indonesia (opens in a new tab) · Cahyadi et al., 2020: Cumulative Impacts of Conditional Cash Transfer Programs: Experimental Evidence from Indonesia (opens in a new tab)

Nepal

Migrant continuity: the allowance FAQ provides an administrative transfer route after a documented move; that is different from seamless access for seasonal workers away from permanent residence.
Sources: Department of National ID and Civil Registration: प्राय सोधिने प्रश्नहरु : सामाजिक सुरक्षा (opens in a new tab)
Agricultural heat loss: premium support was described, but current heat-loss definitions, claims timelines and tenant-farmer access were not verified.
Sources: Ministry of Finance / United Nations Development Programme, 2026: Integrated National Financing Framework Financing Strategy for Pro-Employment Economic Growth of Nepal with Action Plan (opens in a new tab)
Heat anticipatory cash: the urban protocol concerns selected places and planned households; it does not establish a standing nationwide public payment.
Sources: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies / Nepal Red Cross Society, 2025: Simplified Early Action Protocol: Nepal | Urban Heatwave (opens in a new tab)
Debt and asset recovery after heat: no completed heat social-protection impact evaluation was read. Statistically non-significant later flood outcomes are not a heat null result.
Sources: Christian et al., 2025: Fast Action for Floods: RCT Evidence on Forecast-based Cash Transfers from Bangladesh and Nepal (opens in a new tab)

Singapore

Self-employed workers' lost hot-day earnings: WIS depends on qualifying work and income; a universal paid heat work-stoppage entitlement was not verified. WICA coverage of employees and covered platform work does not establish coverage of every self-employed person.
Sources: Central Provident Fund Board, 2026: Workfare Income Supplement (opens in a new tab) · Central Provident Fund Board, 2026: Workfare Income Supplement Employee Work Year 2026 Calculator (opens in a new tab) · Ministry of Manpower, 2025: Updated coverage of reportable and compensable occupational diseases (ODs) under WSHA and WICA (opens in a new tab)
Work-related heat illness: a claim route exists, but eligibility, medical evidence and claim acceptance stand between illness and compensation. Actual heat-specific receipt was not measured in the sources read.
Sources: Ministry of Manpower: Types of compensation under WICA (opens in a new tab) · Ministry of Manpower: FAQs on Heat stress measures for outdoor work (opens in a new tab)
Migrant-worker healthcare: PCP eligibility excludes migrant domestic workers from this requirement, and other migrant groups have different routes. Citizen or permanent-resident health cover is not a proxy for all migrant cover.
Sources: Ministry of Manpower: What is the Primary Care Plan (PCP) (opens in a new tab) · Ministry of Health, 2024: Managing medical bills (opens in a new tab)
Cooling costs: U-Save reaches eligible households under housing and scheme rules; it is not a guarantee of cooling equipment, tolerable indoor temperatures or support for every tenancy.
Sources: Government of Singapore, 2026: Managing Cost of Living in Singapore (opens in a new tab)
Agricultural loss: ACT supports farm investment and EFS-WCL supports business cashflow. Neither opened rule is crop-loss insurance or household heat-income compensation.
Sources: Enterprise Singapore, 2026: Enterprise Financing Scheme – SME Working Capital Loan (opens in a new tab) · Singapore Food Agency, 2026: Agri-food Cluster Transformation (ACT) Fund (opens in a new tab)
Heat-triggered public anticipatory cash, general asset-loss cover and debt relief: no standing heat-specific entitlement was verified in the public sources read. This is a bounded evidence gap, not a claim that no assistance is available.
Sources: Government of Singapore, 2026: Managing Cost of Living in Singapore (opens in a new tab) · Ministry of Manpower: Types of compensation under WICA (opens in a new tab) · Enterprise Singapore, 2026: Enterprise Financing Scheme – SME Working Capital Loan (opens in a new tab)

Thailand

Informal workers' heat income loss: Section 40 has conditional sickness cash, while the worker heat insurance pilot is limited and private; no universal paid hot-day entitlement was verified.
Sources: Ministry of Labour, 2026: Over 500,000 Section 40 Insured Persons Rejoice Following Labour Minister’s Drive to Enhance Social Security Benefits Aligned with Current Economic Conditions: Outpatient Medical Compensation Increased from 50 to 200 Baht/Visit; Maximum Income Compensation for Disability Cases Raised from 1,000 to 3,000 Baht (opens in a new tab) · HomeNet International, 2026: HomeNet Thailand Runs a Pilot Extreme Heat Insurance Project for Informal Economy Workers (opens in a new tab)
Agricultural heat losses: relief needs prior registration, a declared assistance area and assessed damage; crop loss is not automatically full income replacement.
Sources: Department of Agricultural Extension, 2026: เกษตรฯ เผย 3 สิ่ง เกษตรกรควรทำ เพื่อรับการช่วยเหลือ เมื่อประสบภัยพิบัติด้านพืช (opens in a new tab)
Heat damage to housing and assets: the opened disaster-insurance announcement lists floods, windstorms and earthquakes, with no verified heat peril.
Sources: Government Public Relations Department, 2026: Launch of Nationwide Disaster Insurance Program Effective 1 October 2026 (opens in a new tab)

What a map could show, and how it could mislead

A map of heat and public support is tempting, and easy to misread. Very little of this data is both openly licensed and shares a place code, so it cannot yet be joined into one map that holds up. A few cautions apply everywhere:

Unknown is not zero: a place without data is not a place without need or support.
Counts from different schemes cannot be added up to a number of protected households, because people can be counted in several.
No single protection score is offered here, because the parts measure different things.
A scheme can exist on paper while delivery differs from place to place.

Bangladesh

What it measures	Place and year	Open licence	Shared place code
Days with daily maximum air temperature above 40 degrees C (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF	state, 2025	Yes	Not established
Nights with daily minimum air temperature above 30 degrees C (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF	state, 2025	Yes	Not established
Hot-season dew-point temperature (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF	state, 2025	Yes	Not established
Population reporting disability (opens in a new tab) Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics	state, 2022	Not established	Not established
Population density (opens in a new tab) Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics	state, 2022	Not established	Not established
Households receiving social safety net support (opens in a new tab) Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics	state, 2022	Not established	Not established
Mean annual household benefit received (opens in a new tab) Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics	state, 2022	Not established	Not established
Published Old Age Allowance rate (opens in a new tab) Ministry of Finance; CPD analysis	state, 2026	Not established	Not established
Food Friendly Programme terms (opens in a new tab) Ministry of Finance	state, 2026	Not established	Not established

India

What it measures	Place and year	Open licence	Shared place code
Days with daily maximum temperature above 40°C (opens in a new tab) India Meteorological Department; aggregation proposed by Common Shade	state, 2024	Not established	Not established
Hot-night frequency (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF; aggregation proposed by Common Shade	state, 2025	Yes	Not established
Humid-heat exposure (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF; derivation proposed by Common Shade	state, 2025	Yes	Not established
People per sleeping room (opens in a new tab) IIPS / Ministry of Health and Family Welfare	state, 2021	Not established	Not established
Prevalence of any disability (opens in a new tab) IIPS / Ministry of Health and Family Welfare	state, 2021	Not established	Not established
NFSA registered beneficiaries (opens in a new tab) Department of Food and Public Distribution	state, 2025	Not established	Not established
NFSA beneficiaries with completed e-KYC (opens in a new tab) Department of Food and Public Distribution	state, 2025	Not established	Not established
Health insurance or financing membership (opens in a new tab) IIPS / Ministry of Health and Family Welfare	state, 2021	Not established	Not established
Central disability-pension rule and transition status (opens in a new tab) Government of India; proposed Common Shade factual registry	state, 2026	Not established	Yes
PM-JAY older-person entitlement (opens in a new tab) National Health Authority; proposed Common Shade factual registry	state, 2026	Not established	Not established

A first map that would hold up

Exposure: ERA5-derived hot-night frequency for completed year 2025; disclosed threshold and Indian local-calendar days.
Systems: PM-JAY 70-plus entitlement, including cover-sharing and enrolment conditions.
Optional third indicator: Disability-pension transition status: approved change, operational implementation unverified.
Geography: States/UTs; versioned, openly licensed boundaries after India-specific metadata checks.
Join: Spatial weather aggregation plus reviewed state crosswalk for factual scheme registry.
Open basis: ERA5 CC-BY; GeoBoundaries gbOpen; separately openly licensed Common Shade factual registry.
Shows: Hotter nights alongside public-system routes readers could explore.
Does not show: Eligible households, enrolment gaps, actual treatment, payment speed, adequacy or reduced harm.

How it could mislead

Low registration can reflect population, eligibility, mobility or incomplete access.
High enrolment can coexist with difficulty using a benefit.
A national scheme can be uniform on paper while local delivery differs.
State averages conceal neighbourhoods, outdoor work, housing and humid coastal exposure.
Recent weather alongside older survey data is not simultaneous measurement.
Overlapping scheme counts cannot be added to estimate protected households.

Indonesia

What it measures	Place and year	Open licence	Shared place code
Days with daily maximum air temperature above 35 degrees C (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF	state, 2025	Yes	Not established
Days with daily minimum air temperature above 28 degrees C (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF	state, 2025	Yes	Not established
Mean dew-point temperature (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF	state, 2025	Yes	Not established
Population aged 65 and over (opens in a new tab) WorldPop, University of Southampton	state, 2020	Yes	Not established
Children under five (opens in a new tab) WorldPop, University of Southampton	state, 2020	Yes	Not established
Residential population density (opens in a new tab) WorldPop; project derivation	state, 2020	Yes	Not established
JKN coverage and activity, national context (opens in a new tab) National Social Security Council	country, 2026	Not established	Not established
PKH quarterly disbursement count (opens in a new tab) Ministry of State Secretariat	country, 2026	Not established	Not established
Sembako published monthly amount (opens in a new tab) Ministry of Social Affairs	state, 2026	Not established	Not established
AUTP premium and insured value (opens in a new tab) Ministry of Agriculture	state, 2026	Not established	Not established

Nepal

What it measures	Place and year	Open licence	Shared place code
Days with daily maximum air temperature above 40 degrees C (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF	state, 2025	Yes	Not established
Nights with daily minimum air temperature above 30 degrees C (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF	state, 2025	Yes	Not established
Hot-season dew-point temperature (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF	state, 2025	Yes	Not established
Population aged 65 and over (opens in a new tab) National Statistics Office	state, 2021	Not established	Not established
Population by type of disability (opens in a new tab) National Statistics Office	state, 2021	Not established	Not established
Households by roof material (opens in a new tab) National Statistics Office	state, 2021	Not established	Not established
Health insurance reported by adults aged 15-49 (opens in a new tab) Discover Public Health analysis of NDHS	state, 2022	Not established	Not established
Health Insurance Programme terms (opens in a new tab) Health Insurance Board; 2026 study	state, 2026	Not established	Not established
Child Nutrition Allowance published terms (opens in a new tab) UNICEF and Government of Nepal	state, 2026	Not established	Not established

Singapore

What it measures	Place and year	Open licence	Shared place code
Station WBGT observations (opens in a new tab) National Environment Agency	city, 2026	Yes	Not established
Share of valid observations classified high heat stress (opens in a new tab) National Environment Agency; project derivation	city, 2026	Yes	Not established
Hot-night city context from ERA5 (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF	city, 2025	Yes	Not established
Resident population aged 65 and over (opens in a new tab) Singapore Department of Statistics	district, 2020	Yes	Not established
Resident children under five (opens in a new tab) Singapore Department of Statistics	district, 2020	Yes	Not established
Households receiving ComCare, national (opens in a new tab) MSF / Singapore Department of Statistics	city, 2024	Yes	Not established
Cumulative WIS recipients (opens in a new tab) Central Provident Fund Board	city, 2026	Not established	Not established
Heat-related WICA claim route (opens in a new tab) Ministry of Manpower	city, 2026	Not established	Not established
PCP scope and current service terms (opens in a new tab) Ministry of Manpower	city, 2026	Not established	Not established

Thailand

What it measures	Place and year	Open licence	Shared place code
Days with daily maximum air temperature above 35 degrees C (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF	state, 2025	Yes	Not established
Days with daily minimum air temperature above 28 degrees C (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF	state, 2025	Yes	Not established
Mean dew-point temperature (opens in a new tab) Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF	state, 2025	Yes	Not established
Population aged 65 and over (opens in a new tab) WorldPop, University of Southampton	state, 2020	Yes	Not established
Children under five (opens in a new tab) WorldPop, University of Southampton	state, 2020	Yes	Not established
Residential population density (opens in a new tab) WorldPop; project derivation	state, 2020	Yes	Not established
SSO registrants by section and province (opens in a new tab) Social Security Office	state, 2026	Not established	Not established
Health-entitlement registration coverage (opens in a new tab) National Health Security Office	state, 2026	Yes	Not established
Section 40 national registrants (opens in a new tab) Social Security Office	country, 2026	Not established	Not established
Older-person monthly allowance by age band (opens in a new tab) Government of Thailand	state, 2026	Not established	Not established

Open questions

What the evidence has not yet answered. Study sizes are illustrative, not power calculations.

Bangladesh

Does an allowance top-up before a heatwave reduce lost work and medical spending?
What is known: A Rajshahi delivery simulation was reported. [B5]
A study that could answer it: Randomised phased invitation or top-up timing across comparable neighbourhood clusters, with aggregate income, medical-spending and timing outcomes. (Illustrative design: 40-60 clusters; final size from power calculations.)
At which access step do heat-exposed urban households stop receiving support?
What is known: HIES measures past receipt but not a linked eligibility-to-receipt ladder. [B3]
A study that could answer it: A repeated representative household survey linked only to consented, de-identified process totals; publish aggregate transitions and reasons. (Illustrative design: 1,500-2,000 households across several cities.)
How often does public support meet the costs of medically diagnosed heat illness?
What is known: A historical SSK financial-risk evaluation exists; heat-specific claims were not reported. [B7]
A study that could answer it: Prospective facility-cost study comparing public benefits, out-of-pocket costs, referral and foregone care across one hot season. (Illustrative design: 10-15 facilities; power and case-volume check first.)
Does assisted application improve timely receipt among migrants and women outdoor workers?
What is known: Delivery organisations describe support, but no comparable independent local effect was read. [B6, B12, B13]
A study that could answer it: Randomise outreach timing among consenting community clusters and track aggregate application, receipt, cost and delay. (Illustrative design: 30-50 clusters over one application cycle.)
Unmeasured steps: Adequate, On time When heat arrives, how much of a household's lost earnings and care costs does an allowance or top-up cover, and does it arrive before the hottest days?
What is known: Implementer reports count households that received cash in Rajshahi and Dhaka. None of the sources checked measures how far the money went, or when it arrived compared with the heat.
A study that could answer it: Follow recipient households through one hot season, recording lost work days, care costs and payment dates against heat-alert dates. (Illustrative: about 300 households in two cities over one hot season)
Unmeasured steps: Aware, Eligible, Documented, Applied, Enrolled How many heat-exposed urban households know of an allowance, qualify for it, hold the documents, apply and are enrolled?
What is known: None of the sources checked measures these steps for the schemes on this page in Bangladesh.
A study that could answer it: A household survey in hot wards that asks the same people about each step, for the same schemes. (Illustrative: about 1,000 households in four wards)

India

At which access step do heat-exposed informal-worker households lose the most potential support?
What is known: Separate administrative stocks and a small commissioned facilitation assessment; no complete representative ladder.
A study that could answer it: Voluntary repeated survey before, during and after a hot season, publishing only aggregate group and step results. (About 1,500 households across six districts; final size depends on detectable differences.)
Does receiving an existing transfer before peak heat improve coping compared with later receipt?
What is known: Entitlements and heat earnings-loss evidence; little verified payment-timing evidence.
A study that could answer it: Evaluate an authorised timing change with aggregate earnings, care costs and borrowing outcomes. (About 2,000 households across 40-60 clusters, subject to power analysis.)
How much of household heat-illness cost is met through PM-JAY and free public care?
What is known: Hospital-cover rules and service policies; no verified heat-specific cost pathway.
A study that could answer it: Consent-based care-cost study across public and empanelled facilities, publishing aggregate results. (About 600 episodes across 12 facilities in one season.)
Does assisted scheme navigation improve timely receipt during a hot season?
What is known: Delivery models and commissioned assessment; no verified heat-specific causal estimate.
A study that could answer it: Phased rollout of additional support against existing services, measuring receipt and timing; providers on equal terms. (About 60 communities and 1,800 households; subject to power analysis.)
Can public works cushion heat income loss while reducing exposure?
What is known: Historical learning protection evidence; no verified 2026-framework heat evaluation.
A study that could answer it: Evaluate adjusted hours, rest and water provision alongside work access and wage arrival. (About 50 worksites across four districts in one hot season.)
Unmeasured step: Adequate Is what a household receives from rural work, pensions or food rations enough to cover a hot season's lost earnings and care costs?
What is known: Documents, applications, enrolment, receipt and payment timing are measured for some schemes, such as fund transfer orders for rural work. No source checked measures whether support is adequate in a hot season.
A study that could answer it: Compare the support received with heat-season losses in the same households, in a hot month and a cooler one. (Illustrative: about 600 households in three districts)
Unmeasured steps: Aware, Eligible How many informal workers exposed to heat know which schemes they could use, and how many of them qualify?
What is known: Later steps are measured for some schemes; awareness and eligibility are not, in the sources checked.
A study that could answer it: Pair a short awareness survey with an eligibility screen for the same workers, at worksites and markets. (Illustrative: about 800 workers in two cities)

Indonesia

What share of diagnosed work-related heat claims reach benefit payment?
What is known: JKK benefits exist; heat-specific acceptance and delay were not verified. [I5, I6]
A study that could answer it: Prospective multi-site claims pathway study, publishing aggregate submitted, accepted and paid counts and time intervals. (Illustrative: several provinces over two hot seasons; sample based on case volume.)
Does contribution support keep informal workers insured through the hot season?
What is known: A registration experiment and a new contribution-saving route exist. [I16, I9]
A study that could answer it: Cluster randomisation of assisted contribution-saving access, measuring active coverage, care costs and retention in aggregate. (Illustrative: 40-60 clusters; final size from power calculations.)
Does a pre-heat top-up reduce income loss, debt and delayed care?
What is known: PKH delivery and general economic evaluations exist, without a verified heat effect. [I4, I17]
A study that could answer it: Pre-specified phased top-up trial using forecasts, with household outcomes reported only in aggregate. (Illustrative: two hot seasons across 40-60 clusters.)
Which heat-related crop losses meet AUTP damage rules and receive timely support?
What is known: Drought insurance terms and extension routes are published. [I11]
A study that could answer it: Crop-season panel combining weather, field loss assessment and anonymised aggregate claim outcomes, without publishing farm locations. (Illustrative: 1,000-1,500 insured and comparable uninsured farm households.)
Unmeasured steps: On time, Adequate Do cash transfers reach families before or after the hottest weeks, and is the amount enough to cover lost work?
What is known: Government reports count the families paid each quarter, without payment dates set against heat or amounts set against losses.
A study that could answer it: Link payment dates with heat records and a short household survey on lost work and spending. (Illustrative: about 500 families in two provinces over one year)
Unmeasured steps: Aware, Eligible, Documented, Applied Where do informal workers stop between hearing of worker insurance and applying for it?
What is known: An evaluation in Bandung and Medan measured enrolment: registration help raised it by 3.5 percentage points and full subsidy by 18.6, while information alone had no measured effect. Awareness, documents and applications were not measured as separate steps.
A study that could answer it: Follow the same workers through awareness, documents and application, with and without help to register. (Illustrative: about 1,000 workers in two cities)

Nepal

Does pre-heat cash reduce lost earnings and medical spending for outdoor-worker households?
What is known: An urban heat protocol exists without a completed impact evaluation in the sources read. [N12]
A study that could answer it: Randomised or pre-specified phased delivery across comparable neighbourhoods, recording timing, income, care and coping costs in aggregate. (Illustrative design: 40-60 clusters over two hot seasons; power calculation before final sampling.)
Which step limits qualifying SSF access among informal workers?
What is known: Pre-launch awareness data and later registration reports describe different periods. [N7, N8]
A study that could answer it: Follow a representative cohort from information through contribution qualification and benefit receipt, with anonymised aggregate reporting. (Illustrative design: 1,500-2,000 workers across several municipalities.)
How often does public insurance meet the full cost of heat-related care?
What is known: Enrolment is measured; current heat-specific claims and complete costs are not. [N4, N5, N22]
A study that could answer it: Prospective facility and household cost study with diagnosed heat cases, matched service records under consent, and published aggregate results only. (Illustrative design: 10-15 facilities across a hot season; case-volume check before sizing.)
Does a supported transfer process reduce allowance interruption after migration?
What is known: A documented allowance transfer route exists; actual seasonal continuity was not measured. [N1]
A study that could answer it: Phased assistance through wards, comparing aggregate transfer completion, payment interruption and travel cost. (Illustrative design: 20-30 ward pairs over one renewal and payment cycle.)
Unmeasured steps: Adequate, On time Do allowances arrive on time and cover what a hot season costs older people and outdoor-worker households?
What is known: Awareness of the Social Security Fund, enrolment and receipt are measured in the sources checked; the adequacy and timing of allowances in hot months are not.
A study that could answer it: Record payment dates and heat-season costs for allowance households in the Tarai. (Illustrative: about 400 households in four municipalities)
Unmeasured steps: Eligible, Documented, Applied Among people who qualify for an allowance, how many hold the documents and have applied?
What is known: In the sources checked, eligibility, documents and applications are not measured as separate steps.
A study that could answer it: A records review with local governments that counts eligible people, documents held and applications made. (Illustrative: six wards in three municipalities)

Singapore

How often do work-related heat illnesses move from report to accepted and paid WICA claim?
What is known: Heat is recognised and benefit types are published; heat-specific process counts were not verified. [S13, S14, S15]
A study that could answer it: Secure aggregate reporting of notified, filed, accepted and paid claims with time intervals and broad worker categories. (Illustrative: all available cases across several hot seasons; no individual case details published.)
Does PCP access reduce total costs and delayed care during hot periods for covered migrant workers?
What is known: A patient-experience survey exists, without a heat-specific causal comparison. [S17]
A study that could answer it: Prospective hot-season facility and worker survey with pre-specified comparison periods, full care costs and aggregate results. (Illustrative: 10-15 clinics; final size based on expected heat case volume.)
How consistently do workers receive and use paid heat-rest breaks?
What is known: Official guidance recognises specified breaks as paid work; implementation outcomes were not verified. [S14]
A study that could answer it: Confidential worker and employer survey plus aggregate work-schedule observations across heat levels, without individual tracking. (Illustrative: 40-60 worksites across several exposed sectors.)
Which access steps explain non-receipt of temporary support during heat-related household income loss?
What is known: National ComCare receipt counts and assisted-application routes exist. [S1, S29]
A study that could answer it: Representative repeated household survey measuring awareness through on-time receipt, including explicit residency eligibility checks. (Illustrative: 1,500-2,000 households over two hot seasons.)
Unmeasured steps: Adequate, On time Does temporary support cover the income lost when heat cuts work, and how soon does it arrive?
What is known: Counts of households receiving ComCare support and of workers receiving the Workfare Income Supplement are published; adequacy and timing against heat-related income loss are not, in the sources checked.
A study that could answer it: A survey of support recipients in outdoor work that compares lost earnings in hot months with the support received and when it came. (Illustrative: about 300 households)
Unmeasured steps: Aware, Eligible, Documented, Applied, Enrolled Do migrant workers know which medical and injury protections apply to heat illness, and do they start a claim?
What is known: None of the sources checked measures awareness, applications or claims started among migrant workers for heat illness.
A study that could answer it: Short surveys at dormitories and worker centres, with partner organisations, followed by records of claims started. (Illustrative: about 500 workers)

Thailand

Does Section 40 sickness compensation reach informal workers diagnosed with heat illness?
What is known: Current benefit changes are published; heat-specific applications and payments were not verified. [T3]
A study that could answer it: Prospective claims-pathway study tracking aggregate awareness, documentation, accepted claims, value and delay. (Illustrative: several provinces over two hot seasons; final size based on case flow.)
Does heat-triggered insurance preserve earnings and reduce debt without changing essential work hours?
What is known: A worker-network pilot and partner reports exist without an independent impact estimate. [T15, T16]
A study that could answer it: Pre-registered phased rollout with agreed comparison clusters, measuring income, care costs, rest and coping in aggregate. (Illustrative: 40-60 clusters across two hot seasons.)
How different are social-insurance coverage maps based on residence and employer registration?
What is known: SSO metadata describes different location concepts by section. [T11]
A study that could answer it: Secure institutional aggregation of both location definitions; publish only province-level differences and uncertainty. (Illustrative: one year of all available provincial aggregate records.)
How much heat-related crop loss is met by declared-disaster relief, and how quickly?
What is known: Crop-relief rates, documents and procedure are published. [T5]
A study that could answer it: Crop-season household panel and administrative aggregate audit of declarations, assessed losses, payment dates and recovery. (Illustrative: 1,000-1,500 households across several agroclimatic areas.)
Unmeasured steps: Aware, Eligible, Documented, Applied, Enrolled, Received, Adequate For older people and informal workers, which is the first step of access where support stops in a hot season?
What is known: None of the sources checked measures any step of access for the schemes on this page in Thailand.
A study that could answer it: A household survey that follows the old-age allowance and Section 40 through all eight steps, for the same people. (Illustrative: about 1,000 households in three provinces)
Unmeasured step: On time Does crop relief after a declared disaster arrive in time to matter for the next season?
What is known: None of the sources checked measures when relief reaches farmers compared with the loss.
A study that could answer it: Compare declaration, claim and payment dates for crop relief across districts. (Illustrative: records from ten districts over two seasons)

What it took to add this

The question. Which public schemes could carry a household through a hot season, in each country researched?
The search. 131 sources were gathered for checking.
The checking. Each source was opened and read for the terms and numbers it was cited for: 98 confirmed, and 33 could not be (16 blocked automated reading, 14 did not respond, 3 did not show the expected text).
What we set aside. 101 items that rested on what could not be confirmed were set aside, regraded or reworded, each with its reason.
What is still open. Questions remain for every step of access nobody has measured.

See for yourself: the check results · what was set aside, and why. This page's place in the commons is on Watch Common Shade grow.

Sources

Every source was opened and checked for the terms and numbers quoted here before use. 84 sources; all are also on Sources and references. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, and we will correct it.

Find support

Bangladesh

India

Indonesia

Nepal

Singapore

Thailand

Why heat reaches household budgets

Steps of access

Bangladesh

India

Indonesia

Nepal

Singapore

Thailand

Delivery routes and organisations

Bangladesh

Department of Social Services government

Bangladesh Red Crescent Society civil society

Bangladesh Post Office government

Nagad financial

Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies civil society

India

Common Service Centres government

Self Employed Women's Association union

India Post Payments Bank financial

National Legal Services Authority and local legal services institutions government

Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitras government

e-Shram digital platform

Indonesia

PKH social facilitators government

PERISAI agents government

BRILink and BNI46 agent routes financial

Nepal

Ward offices and local governments government

Banks participating in social allowance payment financial

Health Insurance Board registration assistants government

Nepal Red Cross Society civil society

Female Community Health Volunteers government

Save the Children civil society

Social Security Fund government

Singapore

Central Provident Fund Board government

Medical social workers at MediFund-approved institutions government

Primary Care Plan Anchor Operators government

HealthServe civil society

Transient Workers Count Too civil society

Thailand

Local administrative organisations government

District agricultural offices and BAAC government

HomeNet Thailand civil society

Federation of Informal Workers union

HERA civil society

Where no public system responds

Bangladesh

India

Indonesia

Nepal

Singapore

Thailand

What a map could show, and how it could mislead

Bangladesh

India

Indonesia

Nepal

Singapore

Thailand

Open questions

Bangladesh

India

Indonesia

Nepal

Singapore

Thailand

What it took to add this

Sources