EXCLUDED FROM to obtain a state-issued death certificate, or in any way proof her inheritance, compensation or ownership rights – although they are enshrined in Iraqi and Shari’ah law. For example, one woman in Salah Al-Din mentioned that she was unable to open a case file for her property without her husband’s signature or fingerprint.xxiii In the case of a missing or deceased husband, a death certificate is required to engage in almost all housing, land, and property rights-related transactions at the directorates. WOMEN UNABLE TO CLAIM FAMILY PROPERTY In NRC research on women’s housing, land and property rights, a group of male IDPs from Mosul, Tel Keif and Tal Usquf in Ninewa expressed confidence that their property rights would be respected when they returned. However, when asked whether a woman could also regain access to family property if her husband is no longer around, they all said no, citing a range of reasons. They said that women would not be able to follow the government processes and procedures to secure the property, including through inheritance, without the required property documentation and civil papers. They said that she did not have the ability, saying “it’s hard to manage properties, and to think about things like rent or selling. It is better for her to give property to her male relatives to manage.” xxiv PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (PDS) AND SOCIAL SAFETY NET People without papers are not able to benefit from the significant investment into Iraq’s social system. Administered by the Ministry of Trade, Iraq’s Public Distribution System (PDS) is PUBLIC SERVICES AND INSTITUTIONS | 15 the world’s largest universal, non-contributory social transfer programme. Every Iraqi earning less than 1 million IQD on a monthly basis who is not a government employee is entitled to receiving a monthly food distribution through the PDS, which includes flour, rice, sugar, beans and cooking oil. A household PDS card from the area of origin of the head of household is needed in order to access this public service. In order to obtain a PDS card, a civil ID and residency card are needed. Updating an existing PDS also requires a marriage, birth or death certificate, as relevant to the changing family composition. As the PDS card contains key personal information, it is also widely used as an identity document, in addition to its intended use as a ration card. TYPES OF ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS Social Safety Net: Provided to individuals without any salary or income, and not working for a governmental agency. The main recipients are female headed households, households with lack of or no income, and unemployed individuals. When the case is approved, the family is granted assistance for one year, after which, the case is reassessed. The allowance is provided on a quarterly basis for a total amount of 270,000 to 315,000 IQD (dependent upon family size) every 3 months for one year. Unemployment Assistance: Provided to any individual without a job or income between 18 and 45 years old. Request for registration is online, open all year long, with the possibility of choosing between a loan of money, a donation of material/ supplies or vocational training. Disability Allowance: Provided to any