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

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  • F. Crossley, Thomas
  • Zilio, Federico

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 older households. 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

  • F. Crossley, Thomas & Zilio, Federico, 2017. "The health benefits of a targeted cash transfer: the UK Winter Fuel Payment," ISER Working Paper Series 2017-10, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:ese:iserwp:2017-10
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    References listed on IDEAS

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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. Janjala Chirakijja & Seema Jayachandran & Pinchuan Ong, 2024. "The Mortality Effects of Winter Heating Prices," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 134(657), pages 402-417.
    8. 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).
    9. 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.

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    More about this item

    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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