In other words, the poor are not considered as needy people who must be helped with a set of goods and services, but as citizens who have the right to demand those things from society. Thus, the State becomes the guarantor of the enjoyment of those rights. As is pointed out in a recent report of the Human Rights Council (United Nations, 2009, p.7), cash transfer programmes “have the potential to assist in the realization of the right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food, clothing and housing”, although they should be seen as a component of social welfare policies and should be integrated within broader social protection systems.