After the end of the Soviet Union, the expectations of the population were still guided largely by the promises of Soviet welfare, while post-socialist governments could no longer maintain the respective policies. In this context, Kazakhstan presents a case where the government has, on the one hand, strong control over politics due to an authoritarian political regime and, on the other hand, more leeway in terms of social policy due to an oil boom that has boosted state revenues since the 2000s. Hence, tensions between popular expectations and neoliberal welfare reforms have made Kazakhstan’s social policy in important areas such as pensions and healthcare rather inconclusive. The political leadership, enjoying far-reaching control over politics and mass media, has invested much effort in managing public perceptions. However, if the generosity of state social policy falls substantially short of public expectations, this gap can cause widespread dissatisfaction with the political leadership, sporadically erupting in violent protests. High public pressure for a relatively generous social policy is thus a legacy of the Soviet welfare model, which has an important impact not only on social policy but also on broader political dynamics, even in authoritarian regimes.