Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/107575 
Year of Publication: 
2015
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 8786
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Means-tested Social Assistance (SA) benefits play an important role as social protection floors supporting households in financial difficulties. This paper presents evidence on the patterns of SA benefit receipt 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.
Subjects: 
social assistance
welfare benefits
state dependence
benefit dependence
scarring
JEL: 
I38
J60
J64
C23
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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