Cash Benefits Research Articles

Who deserves the spot? Attitudes towards priorities in access to subsidised childcare

ABSTRACT Research on perceptions of deservingness has so far mainly focused on cash benefits. We correct this imbalance by studying public attitudes towards access to social investment services, specifically, subsidised childcare. Based on the well-established corpus of deservingness research and recent work on varieties of social investment, we expect the traditional deservingness criteria to matter and for results to vary across countries. To test our argument, we rely on an original survey experiment conducted in 2021 in six Western countries (Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, the UK and the USA). We find that cross-national patterns of responses broadly reflect the categorisation of three types of social investments, that is, inclusive, stratified and targeted social investment. Further, we find that some of the well-known determinants of deservingness perceptions play an important role in the attribution of priorities of parents who need childcare: most clearly need and identity (operationalised with the parents’ nationality and their length of residency). This is true in all six countries covered. We conclude that patterns of deservingness perceptions to subsidised childcare services are determined by a mix of institutional factors (that differ across welfare regimes) and more fundamental attitudes towards helping those in need.

A Systematic Review of Cash Benefit Programs for People Experiencing Homelessness in the United States

A Systematic Review of Cash Benefit Programs for People Experiencing Homelessness in the United States

Disability during the last ten years of life: Evidence from a register-based study in Austria

Abstract Background Many older adults experience disability in activities of daily living during the last years of life, but survey-based analyses suffer from non-representative samples due to selective participation and attrition. Here, we use individual-level register data on the receipt of the Austrian long-term care allowance (ALTCA) as a proxy for late-life disability. Methods In this retrospective mortality follow-back study, we analyse receipt of ALTCA, a cash benefit based on physician assessed disability during the last 10 years of life, among all decedents aged 65 years and over from 2020 in Austria (n = 76,781). The impact of sex, age of death, and cause of death on the duration and probability of receipt of ALTCA was assessed with regression models. Results 10 years before death 10% of older men and 25% of older women received ALTCA, which increased to 27% and 51% at 5 years, 56% and 77% at 1 year, and finally to 70% and 87% at 1 month before death. On average, ALTCA was received for 3.2 years in men and 4.5 years in women. The probability to receive ALTCA and its duration increased sharply with age at death and varied by underlying causes of death: those who died from cancer, myocardial infarction, and external causes of death were less likely to receive ALTCA and experienced shorter durations of it, while those who died from dementia, Parkinson’s disease, chronic heart disease, or chronic obstructive lung disease were more likely to receive ALTCA and longer so. Conclusions Most older adults received ALTCA for multiple years before death, and this increased strongly with age at death and varied across causes of death. Our register-based estimates of late-life disability were twice as high as survey-based estimates, which points to an underestimation in previous studies. Policy-makers should be aware that costs of long-term care will likely increase as life expectancy rises and deaths from dementia and organ failure increase in ageing European societies. Key messages • A large majority of older adults in Austria experience late-life disability. On average, older men were disabled for 3.2 and older women for 4.5 years. • Probability and duration of late-life disability increased steeply with age at death and was higher for those who died from dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or chronic heart or lung disease.

Successful businessmen are more than "self-interested" - case studies and theoretical studies based on four dimensions

This paper explores how successful business people consume and make money through case studies of four dimensions, specifically: 1. Making money does not benefit others, but spending cash benefits others; Making money is good for others, but spending money is bad for others; 3. Facilitate the creation and expenditure of funds by social pairs; 4. Successful business people make and spend money in situations where they do not benefit others. This paper concludes that successful business people can greatly benefit others through the way they make and spend their money, specifically by investing in philanthropy, investing in new businesses, and investing in sustainable development. The behavioral reason behind it is the interweaving and promotion of altruism and egoism. However, the actual impact depends on the interaction between individuals, businesses, and the social environment because it is necessary to formulate reasonable incentive policies and social norms so that there is a positive interaction and cycle between successful business people and society and increase the social benefits that can be realized.

Small cash transfers to older people: do they reduce poverty?

Abstract The literature has shown that, in developing countries, large cash transfers to older people improve the wellbeing of the recipients and their families. While social pensions have recently emerged in East Asia to deliver small cash benefits to older people, there is little consistent evidence of their effects. We examine the effects of the Basic Pension Scheme, a social pension in South Korea, on income and consumption poverty among older adults. We apply a difference-in-differences event study design and other complementary approaches to data covering the full period of program development from 2006 to 2021. The results show that the social pension decreases income poverty but not consumption poverty. While this study analysed the best data currently available, using better-quality data in future research would enable more robust analysis. Further research is also warranted to find how to improve the effectiveness of a non-contributory pension programme as a tool for reducing income and consumption poverty among older adults.

Uptake of cash benefits among children with a disability in Norway: The role of parental socioeconomic characteristics and immigrant background

AbstractCaring for a disabled child involves both indirect and direct economic costs, which in turn may create a financial burden for the family. Using Norway as a case, we examine if public compensatory measures reach those most in need, by assessing whether socioeconomic disadvantages and immigrant background impact adversely on the uptake of a nationally available cash benefits eligible for parents caring for a child with a disability. We take advantage of national administrative register data on children with a selection of well‐defined diagnoses born between 2009 and 2017 (N = 14,469). Our results show nonnegligible, but relatively minor, social inequalities in the uptake of cash benefits related to socioeconomic and immigrant background. Our findings indicate that this state's financial support seems to reach those most in need. However, it is essential to deepen our understanding of how socioeconomic and immigrant backgrounds influence access to and utilization of municipal healthcare services. Notably, the application process for these services often involves a greater degree of discretion on the part of welfare professionals. Further research is needed to illuminate the nuanced dynamics of these factors in the context of accessing healthcare services at the local level.

Veteran Affairs disability compensation: Likely the U.S.’s largest disability program, but what do we know about its impacts on service‐disabled veterans?

AbstractThe last few decades have seen rapid growth in the size of the Veterans Affairs Disability Compensation (VADC) program, which provides tax‐free cash benefits to veterans with disabilities connected to military service. Given this recent growth, VADC is on pace to eclipse Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) to become the largest U.S. disability program by expenditures. Although there are decades of causal research on the design and impacts of SSDI, there is no comparable body of evidence for VADC. In this Policy Insight, we discuss how causal evidence was produced for Social Security‐administered disability programs and why there is a lack of this evidence for VADC. Chief among the explanations is a lack of VADC data access available to the broader researcher community, access that Social Security facilitates for the programs it administers. However, even with this access, the proliferation of benefits and services targeted to service‐disabled veterans implies that existing earnings loss studies and causal estimates of the impact of VADC benefit receipt on any given outcome of interest likely are mismeasurements of true effects. We conclude with recommendations for restructuring approaches to research design to accurately estimate impacts of VADC benefits as well as the wide array of other programs supporting service‐disabled veterans.

Labor supply effects of a universal cash transfer

I investigate the labor supply effects of the introduction of an exceptionally large unconditional cash benefit. I exploit the unique design of the child benefit program in Poland to identify the effects of the monthly transfer in a difference-in-differences design. The transfer had no short-term effects but caused sizable negative medium-term effects on household labor supply. In the medium run, population estimates indicate that for every extra 100 dollars in monthly child benefit transfers households received, they reduced their after-tax earnings by 25 dollars, spent 32 dollars on consumption, and saved 43 dollars. These negative labor supply effects are much larger and much more precisely estimated among households with low socioeconomic status. Additional evidence shows that the program had a positive impact on investments in human capital and home production efficiency.

Efektivitas Program Asuransi Kehilangan Pekerjaan Sistem Jaminan Sosial di Indonesia, Malaysia dan Jepang

Social security, according to the ILO, is a protection system to protect people from social and economic risks. In Indonesia, the formal worker social security system does not yet cover the entire community, especially in the informal sector. For this reason, Indonesia introduced the Job Loss Guarantee (JKP) program to protect workers who lose their jobs, with cash benefits, labor market information, and training. This program was inspired by countries such as Malaysia and Japan that had already implemented it. Indonesia adopted ILO standards in Conventions 102 and 168 to improve social protection, including unemployment benefits and employment opportunities. The conclusion from the discussion of the JKP program in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Japan is that the JKP system in Indonesia still has several shortcomings, such as participation requirements in other social security programs that hinder registered workers, small cash benefits, and complicated procedures. Job training benefits are also not optimal. In Malaysia, the JKP program effectively protects workers in the formal and informal sectors with a benefit duration of between 3 to 6 months, while Japan provides varying benefits, with a duration of between 3 to 12 months. To increase the effectiveness of the Indonesian JKP, it is necessary to simplify the process and improve the administrative system so that more workers can access its benefits.

LEGAL NATURE OF SINGLE CASH AID IN THE CASE OF THE DEATH OF A MILITARY SERVANT

The article is devoted to the clarification of the legal nature of one-time monetary assistance in the event of the death of a serviceman, as well as the corresponding personal order regarding this assistance in the event of his death. It is a well-founded position that such assistance is not an element of the composition of the inheritance, taking into account its specific features. Thus, unlike the heirs, recipients of the aid under investigation do not acquire the duties of a deceased serviceman and are not required to notify creditors of the latter’s death. In addition, the right to receive a one-time cash benefit in the event of the death of a serviceman is exercised within three years from the date of the emergence of such a right, which is related to the date specified in the person’s death certificate. Recipients of one-time cash assistance do not coincide with the circle of heirs according to the law of the first order. It is emphasized that the terminology of inheritance law does not apply to such assistance. In particular, persons who are entitled to receive a one-time cash benefit are not named as heirs, the time of the death or death of a serviceman is not indicated as the time of the opening of the inheritance, etc. The right to receive the researched assistance arises as a result of the person’s death, which makes inheritance impossible in this case. The essence of universal legal succession is the transfer of rights and obligations from the testator to his heirs. It is emphasized that the one-time monetary assistance in the event of the death of a serviceman has a compensatory nature, which is aimed at materially supporting family members (parents, children, spouse) and dependents of a deceased serviceman after the loss of a loved one. A military serviceman’s personal order to pay a one-time cash benefit to a certain person in the event of his death (death) is not a type of will. In its essence, this personal order is close to the order of a depositor of a bank (financial institution) in the event of his death, which is defined in Part 1 of Art. 1228 of the Civil Code of Ukraine.

Rejected sickness cash benefit claims after 180 days of sick leave in the Swedish rehabilitation chain: A nationwide register-based study.

Since a lack of financial security among vulnerable groups could further hamper health and well-being, this study scrutinises factors predicting rejected prolonged sickness cash benefit claims among people on compensated sick leave of more than 180 days with a rejection between days 181 and 365. All 246,872 claims for employed people on sick leave recorded in the Swedish official statistics register between January 2018 and June 2021 were analysed. Claim outcome was evaluated using logistic regression with odds ratios recalculated to relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), mutually adjusted for sociodemographic, work and health-related factors. Overall, 46,611 (19%) of the claims were rejected, with slightly lower rates among women (RR=0.97; 95% CI 0.95-0.99). Musculoskeletal diseases had the highest rejection rates (RR=1.84; 95% CI 1.75-1.94) followed by injuries (RR=1.57; 95% CI 1.50-1.64) and symptoms (RR=1.51; 95% CI 1.46-1.56). Mental disorders also had above-average rates (RR=1.14; 95% CI 1.09-1.19), whereas the lowest rates were found among pregnancy-related diagnoses (RR=0.13; 95% CI 0.12-0.14) and neoplasms (RR=0.18; 95% CI 0.18-0.18). Higher rates were found among immigrants (RR=1.37; 95% CI 1.34-1.40), those with only primary education (RR=1.09; 95% CI 1.06-1.12) and among blue-collar workers. The regional variation was substantial (RR range 0.41-1.72). High rejection rates were found for complex diagnoses and diagnoses with presupposed work ability in physically lighter occupations and among groups with assumed precarious positions at the labour market. Systematic differences in rates were identified between geographic regions. More studies are warranted to conclude if the differences found could be justified by other factors.

Income inequalities in maternal health-care service utilization in India: Applying the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition method

Maternal health-care service (MHCS) utilization is a crucial indicator of a country’s progress in protecting the health and well-being of its women and children. This paper examines trends, patterns, determinants, and disparities in MHCS utilization between the poorest and richest women in India’s Empowered Action Group. The study used data from the second (1998 – 1999), third (2005 – 2006), fourth (2015 – 2016), and fifth (2019 – 2021) rounds of the National Family Health Survey. A logistic regression model was applied to assess MHCS utilization, and the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition method (BODM) was used to explain inequalities in utilization between the poorest and richest women. The findings indicate that MHCS utilization has increased over the years among both groups. However, the utilization rate is higher among the poorest women. Furthermore, rural women are less likely to utilize MHCS compared to urban women. Key determinants include women’s education, their partners’ education, mass media exposure (MME), and women’s empowerment. The BODM results show that although MHCS utilization has increased among both groups, inequalities persist, largely explained by coefficient effects. A trend analysis reveals a reduction in discrimination between the poorest and richest women over time. Women’s education, MME, and autonomy are the key factors driving the reduction of inequalities. There is a need for comprehensive strategies to enhance education among disadvantaged women, increase MME, and promote health awareness. The government should empower women through incentives, such as cash benefits, to ensure higher MHCS utilization among poorer women.

Disability during the last ten years of life: evidence from a register-based study in Austria.

Analyses of late-life disability based on survey data of the oldest old often suffer from non-representative samples due to selective participation and attrition. Here, we use register data on the Austrian long-term care allowance (ALTCA) as a proxy for late-life disability. In this retrospective mortality follow-back study, we analyze receipt of ALTCA, a universal cash benefit based on physician-assessed disability in activities of daily living during the last 10years of life, among all decedents aged 65years and over from 2020 in Austria (n = 76,781) and its association with sex, ageatdeath, and underlying cause of death. We find that on average, ALTCA was received for 3.5 and 5.3years in men and women. At 10years before death, 10% of men and 25% of women received ALTCA, which increased to 56% and 77% at one year before death. Both the probability and duration of ALTCA increased with age at death and varied by cause of death: Those who died from cancer, myocardial infarction, and external causes of death were less likely to receive ALTCA and for shorter durations, while those who died from dementia, Parkinson's disease, chronic heart disease, or chronic lung disease were more likely to receive it and longer so. Overall, our register-based estimates of the prevalence of late-life disability were higher than previous survey-based estimates. Policy-makers should be aware that costs of long-term care will rise as life expectancy rises and deaths from dementia and chronic heart disease will likely increase in therapidly aging European societies.

Development Of Long-Term Care Dependency And Utilisation Of Long-Term Care Services From 2017 To 2022 In Germany, Saxony-Anhalt: Analysis Of Health Insurance Data

Saxony-Anhalt has the highest old-age dependency ratio among the German federal states. The proportion of long-term care-dependent people can be expected to increase in the future, given the aging of the population. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has influenced nursing care, reduced the utilisation of services and led to changes in care arrangements. The aim of this study was to analyse the development of long-term care-dependency in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, taking into account the legal changes, the pandemic and the development after the lifting of the contact ban. The analysis uses aggregated and anonymised health claims data from people insured with AOK Saxony-Anhalt from 2017 to 2022 in need of long-term care. Changes over time in the use of various care services were analysed. In 2017, 64,591 people insured in the statutory health insurance AOK Saxony-Anhalt (AOK ST) were in need of long-term care. The prevalence increased continuously throughout the observation years. For the lowest level of care (minor impairment of independence), the most significant and strongest increase was recorded in the first years after its introduction from 2017-2019. The majority of people in need of long-term care (41-44%) were in the category of care level 2 (considerable impairment of independence). Overall, the proportion of cash benefits has risen steadily since 2017, from 40.5% to 50.3% in 2022. At the same time, the proportion of long-term care in nursing homes decreased at all care levels. The trend toward less nursing home care has become stronger since 2017 and particularly since the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020. Since the introduction of the new definition of the need for long-term care in Germany, the analysis shows an increase in the number of people in need of long-term care, with those with considerable impairment of independence making up the largest proportion. There has been a significant increase in the number of people receiving cash benefits and a decline in nursing home care. Compared to the nationwide data of health claims, data show a greater use of nursing services in home-based arrangements. The analysis during the COVID-19 pandemic shows a trend towards home care, but no fundamental change. Special situations such as contact restrictions may have influenced the use of care services. Future research should examine the design of home care arrangements and the needs of those affected in greater detail.

Effect of Cash Benefits on Health Care Utilization and Health

Poverty is associated with greater barriers to health care and worse health outcomes, but it remains unclear whether income support can improve health. To examine the effect of cash benefits on health care utilization and health. The City of Chelsea, Massachusetts, a low-income community near Boston, randomly assigned individuals by lottery to receive cash benefits. Participants' medical records were linked across multiple health systems. Outcomes were assessed during the intervention period from November 24, 2020, to August 31, 2021. Cash benefits via debit card of up to $400 per month for 9 months. The primary outcome was emergency department visits. Secondary outcomes included specific types of emergency department visits, outpatient use overall and by specialty, COVID-19 vaccination, and biomarkers such as cholesterol levels. Among 2880 individuals who applied for the lottery, mean age was 45.1 years and 77% were female. The 1746 participants randomized to receive the cash benefits had significantly fewer emergency department visits compared with the control group (217.1 vs 317.5 emergency department visits per 1000 persons; adjusted difference, -87.0 per 1000 persons [95% CI, -160.2 to -13.8]). This included reductions in emergency department visits related to behavioral health (-21.6 visits per 1000 persons [95% CI, -40.2 to -3.1]) and substance use (-12.8 visits per 1000 persons [95% CI, -25.0 to -0.6]) as well as those that resulted in a hospitalization (-27.3 visits per 1000 persons [95% CI, -53.6 to -1.1]). The cash benefit had no statistically significant effect on total outpatient visits (424.3 visits per 1000 persons [95% CI, -118.6 to 967.2]), visits to primary care (-90.4 visits per 1000 persons [95% CI, -308.1 to 127.2]), or outpatient behavioral health (83.5 visits per 1000 persons [95% CI, -182.9 to 349.9]). Outpatient visits to other subspecialties were higher in the cash benefit group compared with the control group (303.1 visits per 1000 persons [95% CI, 32.9 to 573.2]), particularly for individuals without a car. The cash benefit had no statistically significant effect on COVID-19 vaccination, blood pressure, body weight, glycated hemoglobin, or cholesterol level. In this randomized study, individuals who received a cash benefit had significantly fewer emergency department visits, including those related to behavioral health and substance use, fewer admissions to the hospital from the emergency department, and increased use of outpatient subspecialty care. Study results suggest that policies that seek to alleviate poverty by providing income support may have important benefits for health and access to care.

The distribution of public service spending

AbstractIn 2019–20, a total of £509 billion [22.5% of gross domestic product (GDP)] was spent on providing public services and infrastructure in the UK. Unlike spending on cash benefits, the primary aim of this spending is not redistribution. But spending on this scale does have big distributional effects—even before considering impacts of services on other dimensions of inequality, such as educational, health and labour market outcomes. There has been a long tradition of analysis of how public service spending is distributed across the population in the UK. This commentary has three main aims: first, to explain the key conceptual and methodological issues involved in such analysis, second, to set out what we know about the distribution of spending on major public services and how and why this changed over time, and third, to identify key lessons for policy and avenues for future research.

Unravelling hidden inequities in a universal public long-term care system

We study the socioeconomic horizontal inequity in the allocation of publicly subsidised long-term care (LTC) in Spain, using administrative data from the universe of applicants in Catalonia. We find that, after controlling for needs, cash subsidies for informal care are disproportionately concentrated among wealthier individuals, while the use of formal care services (home care and nursing homes) is concentrated among the less well-off. This suggests that cash benefits may inadvertently facilitate access to wealthier individuals’ private care. We also find inequity in the form of provision, with in-kind services being more prevalent among the worse-off while wealthier beneficiaries are more likely to receive vouchers. While this duality in provision does not lead to significant differences in overall time to access LTC, we find that lower-income individuals wait longer for telecare, and wealthier individuals opting for in-kind nursing home care wait longer, suggesting potential differences in preferences or constraints. We find no evidence of socioeconomic inequity in the time spent navigating the administrative application process. Our findings highlight the need for policymakers to consider the potential unintended consequences of cash benefits and different forms of provision to ensure equitable access to LTC services.

Interplays between housing and long-term care policies: a comparison between Austria and the Czech Republic

Owing to the complex links between housing and care, placing housing policy in the context of long-term care (LTC) policies is difficult; this leads to a limited number of studies on this topic. However, the practical relevance of links between these two policy fields is self-evident. To partially challenge a separation between housing and LTC policies in research, we apply the concept of ‘housing as an infrastructure of care’, as defined by Power and Mee (Housing Studies, 35(3), 2020). The article conceptualises and contextualises how housing policies interplay with LTC policy instruments by contributing to a similar outcome. After discussing the theoretical implications, the article provides an empirical illustration of this argument through a comparative housing analysis of two carefully selected cases: Austria and the Czech Republic. LTC policies in these two countries are based on remarkably similar cash instruments, notably implemented in contrasting housing policy contexts. As these cash benefits lead to similar outcomes in encouraging informal care provided chiefly by families, the analysis seeks to understand how different housing policies matter for these outcomes. The analysis discusses how particular housing policy instruments may create uneven care capacities.

Supporting Ageing Populations in Developing Countries: A Comparative Analysis of Pension Schemes and Policy Insights

The rapid growth of the elderly population is a major global demographic and social issue. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of pension plans and social security programmes for this population in developing countries, which has severe consequences for their quality of life and well-being. In this article, we aim to better understand the pension systems in developing country contexts such as Ghana, Pakistan, and Myanmar by reviewing official government materials (for example, pension reports) and the published literature to suggest relevant policy recommendations. We observed several policy implementation gaps and inequities in pension schemes for older people, specifically for informal and private sector workers. Considering the size of formal versus informal economies and the level of development index of each country, we suggest a wide variety of options for pension policies, financing, designing cash benefits, and pension payments to cover all older citizens. This article addresses the unmet needs of the elderly and their wider economic sustainability to ensure social justice and resource utilisation. Governments in developing countries should embrace and establish unique, inclusive, and friendly policies encompassing the informal sector to warrant older adults’ functional and social well-being with dignity and honour.

The positive relationship between female employment and fertility rates: The role of family benefits expenditure and gender-role ideologies

This article interrogates the impacts of different types of family benefits expenditures on the positive relationship between female employment and fertility rates in developed welfare states. It does this by theorizing how these family benefits align with welfare state regimes’ preferences for different normative gender-role ideologies. Rather than treating family benefits as a monolith, this article investigates the impact of disaggregated expenditures in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) family policy database (1. services and in-kind benefits, 2. child-related cash benefits and 3. tax-based financial support for children) on both female employment and fertility rates. This is done using pooled time-series analysis covering the period 2000–9. The analysis yields evidence that expenditure most reflecting a ‘full egalitarian’ gender ideology including service and in-kind benefit provision has the most positive association with female employment and fertility due to an emphasis on defamiliarization. The picture for child-related cash benefits is mixed due to the presence of cash transfer provisions not employment-contingent captured in the indicator. In contrast, tax-based financial support for children harms female employment, reflecting a maternalistic ‘traditional’ ideological orientation, but is positive for fertility rates indicating a moderate pro-natal effect of tax-based financial support for children.