社会救助不断加强。最低生活保障等生活救助制度全面建立。生活救助托底保障作用日益明显。最低生活保障制度覆盖城乡，实现“应保尽保”。2009—2014年，城镇和农村居民最低生活保障人均月补助水平分别从176元和68元，提高到329元和129元，各类优抚对象抚恤补助水平增长1倍。农村五保供养标准从集中供养3036元/年、分散供养2280元/年，分别提高到集中供养6750元/年、分散供养4301元/年。2014年，有养老机构1726家，床位52183张，每千名老人拥有床位20.6张。80岁以上老人享受基本生活津贴和免费体检。福利机构供养孤儿最低基本生活费由2009年360元/月提高到2014年900元/月。

　　扶贫开发成效显著。20世纪90年代，国家实施“八七扶贫攻坚计划”，期间新疆解决了132万贫困人口的温饱问题。2001—2010年，新疆解决了284万人的温饱问题，进入巩固温饱、发展致富的新阶段。2011—2014年，针对南疆三地州(和田、喀什、克州)、边境地区、贫困山区实施区域发展与扶贫攻坚。4年间，仅财政专项扶贫资金投入就达到100.8亿元，执行扶贫项目1.2万个，面向贫困人口开展扶贫培训77.5万人次，在1902个贫困村实施整村推进扶贫规划，减少贫困人口139万人，贫困地区农牧民生产生活条件显著改善。

Social assistance has continued to strengthen. Subsistence allowances and other life assistance systems have been established. Life assistance plays an increasingly important role in underpinning security. The system of subsistence allowances covers both urban and rural areas, again ensuring that all of those in need of insurance are provided for. From 2009 to 2014, the monthly subsistence allowance for urban residents increased from RMB176 per capita to RMB329 per capita, while that of rural residents rose from RMB68 to RMB129. Subsidies for disabled servicemen and family members of revolutionary martyrs and servicemen doubled. For rural households enjoying the "five guarantees" (proper food, clothing, medical care, housing and funeral/educational expenses), subsidies for those living in nursing homes increased from RMB3,036 to RMB6,750 per year, and that for those living at home grew from RMB2,280 to RMB4,301 per year. In 2014, there were 1,726 old people's homes, with a total of 52,183 beds, averaging 20.6 beds per thousand elderly people. People over the age 80 now enjoy a basic living allowance and free medical check-up. The minimum basic living expenses for orphans supported by welfare institutions grew from RMB360 per month in 2009 to RMB900 per month in 2014.

Remarkable results have been achieved in poverty alleviation. In the 1990s, the state launched the Seven-Year Poverty Alleviation Program (to lift 80 million people out of poverty), during which Xinjiang had managed to solve the problem of providing food and clothing for 1.32 million impoverished people. From 2001 to 2010, Xinjiang solved the problem of shortages of food and clothing for 2.84 million people, thus entering a new stage of consolidation and development in this regard. From 2011 to 2014, Xinjiang carried out policies of regional development and priority poverty alleviation in the three prefectures of southern Xinjiang (Hotan, Kashi and Kizilsu), and in border areas and poor mountainous areas. Over these four years, special funds allocated for poverty relief totaled RMB10.1 billion, 12,000 poverty alleviation projects were implemented, poverty alleviation training was provided to 775,000 recipients, and poverty reduction programs were carried out in 1,902 poverty-stricken villages. Thanks to these efforts, Xinjiang's poverty-stricken population was reduced by 1.39 million, and marked improvement has been seen in the work and living conditions of farmers and herdsmen in the poverty-stricken areas.