Basic social assistance is an essential institutional arrangement for winning the fight against poverty,and represents the last line of defense in this fight.For basic social assistance to be effective,we must ensure that not a single family falls through the cracks and not a single person is left behind in efforts to pull vulnerable groups out of poverty.Civil affairs departments at all levels must bear this political responsibility as they serve and support the broader fight against poverty and contribute to achieving the goal of building a moderately prosperous society on schedule.