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The health benefits of a targeted cash transfer: the UK Winter Fuel Payment

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas Crossley

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies and University of Essex and European University Institute)

  • Federico Zilio

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies and Institute for Social & Economic Research)

Abstract

Each year the UK records 25,000 or more excess winter deaths, primarily among the elderly. A key policy response is the “Winter Fuel Payment” (WFP), a labelled but unconditional cash transfer to households with a member above the Female State Pension Age. The WFP has been shown to raise fuel spending among eligible households. We examine the causal effect of the WFP on health outcomes, including self-reports of chest infection, measured hypertension and biomarkers of infection and inflammation. We find a robust and statistically significant six percentage point reduction in the incidence of high levels of serum fibrinogen. Reductions in other disease markers point to health benefits, but the estimated effects are not robustly statistically significant.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Crossley & Federico Zilio, 2017. "The health benefits of a targeted cash transfer: the UK Winter Fuel Payment," IFS Working Papers W17/23, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:ifs:ifsewp:17/23
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David S. Lee & Thomas Lemieux, 2010. "Regression Discontinuity Designs in Economics," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 48(2), pages 281-355, June.
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Alastair Canaway’s journal round-up for 28th May 2018
      by captaincanaway in The Academic Health Economists' Blog on 2018-05-28 11:00:22

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Davillas, Apostolos & Burlinson, Andrew & Liu, Hui-Hsuan, 2022. "Getting warmer: Fuel poverty, objective and subjective health and well-being," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    2. Viggers, Helen & Keall, Michael & Howden-Chapman, Philippa & Wickens, Kristin & Ingham, Tristram & Davies, Cheryl & Chapman, Ralph & Crane, Julian, 2019. "Effect of an electricity voucher on electricity use," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    3. Llorca, Manuel & Rodriguez-Alvarez, Ana & Jamasb, Tooraj, 2020. "Objective vs. subjective fuel poverty and self-assessed health," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    4. Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Smyth, Russell, 2021. "Energy poverty and health: Panel data evidence from Australia," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    5. Burlinson, Andrew & Giulietti, Monica & Law, Cherry & Liu, Hui-Hsuan, 2021. "Fuel poverty and financial distress," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    6. Janjala Chirakijja & Seema Jayachandran & Pinchuan Ong, 2019. "Inexpensive Heating Reduces Winter Mortality," NBER Working Papers 25681, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Clair, Amy & Baker, Emma, 2022. "Cold homes and mental health harm: Evidence from the UK Household Longitudinal Study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    8. Dean Hyslop & Lynn Riggs & David Maré, 2022. "The impact of the 2018 Families Package Winter Energy Payment policy," Working Papers 22_09, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.
    9. Janjala Chirakijja & Seema Jayachandran & Pinchuan Ong, 2023. "The Mortality Effects of Winter Heating Prices," Working Papers 305, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Center for Economic Policy Studies..

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    benefits; health; biomarkers; heating; regression discontinuity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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