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Are Recipients of Social Assistance 'Benefit Dependent'?: Concepts, Measurement and Results for Selected Countries

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  • Herwig Immervoll

    (OECD)

  • Stephen P. Jenkins

    (London School of Economics)

  • Sebastian Königs

    (OECD)

Abstract

Means-tested Social Assistance (SA) benefits play an important role as social protection floors sup-porting households in financial difficulties. This paper presents evidence on the patterns of SA benefit re-ceipt in a selection of OECD and EU countries. It provides an overview of the role of SA benefits in social protection systems and assesses the generosity of benefit payments. It then studies the dynamics of SA benefit receipt based on micro-level data describing trends in aggregate receipt and transition rates and presenting new evidence on spell durations and repeat spells. The final part of the paper summarizes recent empirical evidence on state dependence (or ‘scarring effects’) in benefit receipt and discusses its possible sources and policy implications. Les prestations de l’Assistance sociale (AS) sous conditions de ressources jouent un rôle important en tant que socles de protection sociale en soutenant les ménages en difficultés financières. Ce document présente des données sur les types de prestations d’aide sociale dans une sélection de pays de l'OCDE et de l'UE. Il donne un aperçu du rôle des prestations d'aide sociale dans les systèmes de protection sociale et évalue la générosité des prestations versées. Il étudie ensuite les dynamiques de réception de prestations d’aide sociale sur la base de micro données en décrivant les tendances globales de réception et les taux de transition et présentant de nouvelles données sur la durée des épisodes et les périodes de répétition. La dernière partie du document résume les données empiriques récentes sur les effets de persistance dans la réception des prestations et examine ses sources éventuelles et implications politiques.

Suggested Citation

  • Herwig Immervoll & Stephen P. Jenkins & Sebastian Königs, 2015. "Are Recipients of Social Assistance 'Benefit Dependent'?: Concepts, Measurement and Results for Selected Countries," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 162, OECD Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:oec:elsaab:162-en
    DOI: 10.1787/5jxrcmgpc6mn-en
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    3. Massimo Baldini & Elizabeth Jane Casabianca & Elena Giarda & Lorenzo Lusignoli, 2018. "The Impact of REI on Italian Households' Income: A Micro and Macro Evaluation," Politica economica, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 2, pages 103-134.
    4. Wang, Jinxian & Van Vliet, Olaf & Goudswaard, Kees, 2015. "Social assistance benefits and European coordination," MPRA Paper 66147, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Stéphane Carcillo & Rodrigo Fernandez & Sebastian Königs & Andreea Minea, 2015. "NEET Youth in the Aftermath of the Crisis," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03429941, HAL.
    6. Watson, Dorothy & Maître, Bertrand & Grotti, Raffaele & Whelan, Christopher T., 2018. "Poverty Dynamics of Social Risk Groups in the EU: an analysis of the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions, 2005 to 2014," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number BKMNEXT345, June.
    7. Ayşe Savaş & Julide Yildirim, 2017. "Education, Social Assistance And Employment Dynamics: A Panel Data Approach," EcoMod2017 10747, EcoMod.
    8. Maurizio Bussolo & Maria E. Davalos & Vito Peragine & Ramya Sundaram, 2018. "Toward a New Social Contract," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 30393, December.
    9. Massimo Baldini & Elizabeth J. Casabianca & Elena Giarda & Lorenzo Lusignoli, 2018. "The impact of REI on Italian households’ income: A micro and macro evaluation," Department of Economics 0126, University of Modena and Reggio E., Faculty of Economics "Marco Biagi".
    10. Adeline Otto, 2018. "A Benefit Recipiency Approach to Analysing Differences and Similarities in European Welfare Provision," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 137(2), pages 765-788, June.
    11. Daniel S. J. Lechmann & Christoph Wunder, 2017. "The Dynamics of Solo Self-Employment: Persistence and Transition to Employership," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 932, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).

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    JEL classification:

    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • C35 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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