Poverty-targeting harms non-beneficiary children in the Philippines
Credit where credit is due. The World Bank recently published a report on the Philippines Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Programme scheme showing that, among young children excluded from the scheme, stunting rates increased by an average of 11 percentage points. In contrast, among beneficiary children aged 6 to 36 months, stunting fell by...
Who really benefits from poverty-targeting in social protection: the poor or the rich?
Stephen Kidd Asking whether the poor or the rich are the main beneficiaries of poverty-targeting in social protection probably seems like a strange question to many people. On the face of it, the answer appears obvious: surely logic dictates that it must be the poor? Furthermore, it is often assumed...
A progressive moment: Social protection’s rationale identified as citizenship, not charity at IMF/LSE event
Matthew Greenslade The London School of Economics is where the welfare state was invented. Social protection is now needed more than ever, everywhere, to address rising challenges of high inequality and political upheaval. A new social contract is needed, in all countries. Higher income countries have designed their welfare states,...
Poverty-targeting, politics and a pension delivered – our year of resources reviewed
Our blog highlighting the extent of the IMF’s involvement in the decisions of sovereign nations topped the list of our most accessed resources in 2018. The list, which included materials on the politics of social protection schemes, implementing disability-inclusive social protection, and harnessing technology in programme registration, is revealed today...
What a bunch of oxymorons in international social protection!
Nicholas Freeland Let me begin by clarifying that an oxymoron is not some kind of bovine nincompoop. An oxymoron defines a phrase that is inherently self-contradictory. The word itself is a good example, deriving as it does from two contradictory Greek words: ὀξύς (oxys), which means sharp or clever, and...
Out of reach: targeting fails to keep pace with household dynamics
Can poverty-targeting work effectively if it assumes fast-changing households are static? Nicola Ansell discusses research which underscores the challenges to the selection mechanisms ahead of a forthcoming global review of the evidence. Nicola Ansell What is a household? Around the world, policymakers frequently confront this seemingly simple concept, only to find...
The meaning of ‘pro-poor’ (as understood by the World Bank)
How can social protection schemes that exclude the majority of the poorest in Kyrgyzstan and globally be described as ‘pro-poor’? Stephen Kidd investigates in a new blog for the New Year. Stephen Kidd A short while ago, I wrote a blog explaining how poverty-targeted social protection schemes are ‘pro-rich’ while...
The demise of Mexico’s Prospera programme: a tragedy foretold
Stephen Kidd looks at the recent shocking news that Mexico’s Prospera programme has been abolished and explains why it should come as a surprise to no-one. Stephen Kidd The big story in the social protection world last week was the news that Mexico’s Prospera programme is to be abolished after...
Could the Who’s Who Agree on What’s What? Reflections on the Universal Child Grants (*aka* UCB ) Conference
Shea McClanahan Conference organisers can be congratulated for bringing together some of the most influential and up-and-coming thinkers and practitioners in social protection for last week’s International Conference on Universal Child Grants in Geneva. Top minds from international organisations and entities exchanged ideas with key national policymakers, practitioners, consultants and...
Hit and Miss: An assessment of targeting effectiveness in social protection – Summary version with updated analysis
One of the most highly charged debates in social protection is how best to undertake targeting: while some social protection practitioners are passionate advocates of income testing (or poverty targeting), others highlight the many advantages of universal selection. However, as with any debate, it is best to first look at the evidence.