Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant

This study estimates the effects of South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant on well-being amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With household-level data collected before and during the pandemic, it leverages the age-eligibility threshold of the grant to estimate its effects on households in both periods. Prior t...

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Main Authors: Alloush, Mo, Bloem, Jeffrey R., Malacarne, J. G.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Oxford University Press 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/134778
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author Alloush, Mo
Bloem, Jeffrey R.
Malacarne, J. G.
author_browse Alloush, Mo
Bloem, Jeffrey R.
Malacarne, J. G.
author_facet Alloush, Mo
Bloem, Jeffrey R.
Malacarne, J. G.
author_sort Alloush, Mo
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This study estimates the effects of South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant on well-being amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With household-level data collected before and during the pandemic, it leverages the age-eligibility threshold of the grant to estimate its effects on households in both periods. Prior to the pandemic, this study finds that grant receipt substantially improves economic well-being and decreases adult hunger at the household level. During the first 18 months of the pandemic, this study finds larger effects on both economic well-being and hunger than prior to the pandemic. In particular, recipient households were less likely to report running out of money for food and hunger among either adults or children. These results, which are stronger when pandemic-related lockdown policies are in place and for more vulnerable households, provide critical insight into the effectiveness of one of the world’s most well-known cash-transfer programs during a massive global health crisis.
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spelling CGSpace1347782025-10-26T12:51:34Z Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant Alloush, Mo Bloem, Jeffrey R. Malacarne, J. G. cash transfers coronavirus coronavirus disease coronavirinae covid-19 data households hunger This study estimates the effects of South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant on well-being amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With household-level data collected before and during the pandemic, it leverages the age-eligibility threshold of the grant to estimate its effects on households in both periods. Prior to the pandemic, this study finds that grant receipt substantially improves economic well-being and decreases adult hunger at the household level. During the first 18 months of the pandemic, this study finds larger effects on both economic well-being and hunger than prior to the pandemic. In particular, recipient households were less likely to report running out of money for food and hunger among either adults or children. These results, which are stronger when pandemic-related lockdown policies are in place and for more vulnerable households, provide critical insight into the effectiveness of one of the world’s most well-known cash-transfer programs during a massive global health crisis. 2024-04-29 2023-11-28T20:58:32Z 2023-11-28T20:58:32Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/134778 en Limited Access Oxford University Press Alloush, Mo; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; and Malacarne, J. G. 2024. Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant. World Bank Economic Review 38(2): 371-393. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhad037
spellingShingle cash transfers
coronavirus
coronavirus disease
coronavirinae
covid-19
data
households
hunger
Alloush, Mo
Bloem, Jeffrey R.
Malacarne, J. G.
Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant
title Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant
title_full Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant
title_fullStr Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant
title_full_unstemmed Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant
title_short Social protection amid a crisis: New evidence from South Africa’s Older Person’s Grant
title_sort social protection amid a crisis new evidence from south africa s older person s grant
topic cash transfers
coronavirus
coronavirus disease
coronavirinae
covid-19
data
households
hunger
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/134778
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