This paper is an application of multidimensional poverty data to the policy need to improve the effectiveness of the national social protection programme, Samurdhi, in Sri Lanka. This paper argues that any programme aiming to promote people out of poverty, needs to be based on a good understanding of the nature of poverty among the target group. To this end, data from a pilot survey in the Badulla District, Sri Lanka, is used to compare Samurdhi households with non Samurdhi households in relation to deprivation in multiple dimensions. The analysis finds that Samurdhi households are deprived in the dimensions of quality of employment, dignity and psychological and subjective wellbeing, which have practical implications for the design and delivery of Samurdhi.