Pushing Welfare: Encouraging Awareness and Uptake of Social Benefits in South India

Erlend Berg; D Rajasekhar; R Manjula

doi:10.1086/713880

Pushing Welfare: Encouraging Awareness and Uptake of Social Benefits in South India

Erlend Berg, D Rajasekhar, R Manjula

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Abstract

Governments in many developing countries offer social welfare schemes that few take up or even know of. We undertake a randomized-controlled evaluation of agents trained in the facilitation of 16 government social welfare schemes in south India. The agents were incentivized to seek out eligible households, provide them with information about the schemes and help them apply. We find that the agents increase scheme awareness, but not application submission or scheme obtention. Among members of government-sponsored community groups, agents have no effect. Scheme-specific analysis suggests that the program may have had an impact on two schemes that were relatively new, subject to special focus under the program and administered by the implementing department. Despite a modest effect on awareness, the intervention led to a significant increase in satisfaction with government services.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	901-939
Number of pages	39
Journal	Economic Development and Cultural Change
Volume	70
Issue number	2
Early online date	1 Dec 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/713880
Publication status	Published - Jan 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We are grateful to the following individuals for extending their full cooperation and support: S. V. Ranganath, former chief secretary of the Government of Karnataka (GoK); K. S. Manjunath, Ravi Shankar, and Niranjan, former labor commissioners of GoK; M. B. Dyaberi, former secretary of the Department of Labor, GoK; Hans-Christoph Ammon, former team leader of the German Agency for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit [GIZ]); and Namerta, former senior technical expert of GIZ. We also thank our team of enumerators— led by Bheema, Veena, Murali, and Sangeetha—for their assistance as well as Zahra Siddique and Christine Valente for helpful discussions. We gratefully acknowledge funding from GIZ and from Improving Institutions for Pro-Poor Growth, a research program consortium funded by the Department for International Development. Contact the corresponding author, Erlend Berg, at erlend.berg@bris tol.ac.uk.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

Structured keywords

ECON Applied Economics
ECON CEPS Welfare

Keywords

social security
welfare schemes
take-up
awareness
single-window service centers
one-stop centers
intra-government coordination
informal sector
randomized controlled trial
India

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10.1086/713880

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This is the accepted author manuscript (AAM). The final published version (version of record) is available online via University of Chicago Press at https://doi.org/10.1086/713880. Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.
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Dr Erlend Berg
- Erlend.Bergbristol.acuk
- School of Economics - Senior Lecturer
- Bristol Poverty Institute
- Centre for Market and Public Organisation
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Cite this

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title = "Pushing Welfare: Encouraging Awareness and Uptake of Social Benefits in South India",

abstract = "Governments in many developing countries offer social welfare schemes that few take up or even know of. We undertake a randomized-controlled evaluation of agents trained in the facilitation of 16 government social welfare schemes in south India. The agents were incentivized to seek out eligible households, provide them with information about the schemes and help them apply. We find that the agents increase scheme awareness, but not application submission or scheme obtention. Among members of government-sponsored community groups, agents have no effect. Scheme-specific analysis suggests that the program may have had an impact on two schemes that were relatively new, subject to special focus under the program and administered by the implementing department. Despite a modest effect on awareness, the intervention led to a significant increase in satisfaction with government services.",

keywords = "social security, welfare schemes, take-up, awareness, single-window service centers, one-stop centers, intra-government coordination, informal sector, randomized controlled trial, India",

author = "Erlend Berg and D Rajasekhar and R Manjula",

note = "Funding Information: We are grateful to the following individuals for extending their full cooperation and support: S. V. Ranganath, former chief secretary of the Government of Karnataka (GoK); K. S. Manjunath, Ravi Shankar, and Niranjan, former labor commissioners of GoK; M. B. Dyaberi, former secretary of the Department of Labor, GoK; Hans-Christoph Ammon, former team leader of the German Agency for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft f{\"u}r Internationale Zusammenarbeit [GIZ]); and Namerta, former senior technical expert of GIZ. We also thank our team of enumerators— led by Bheema, Veena, Murali, and Sangeetha—for their assistance as well as Zahra Siddique and Christine Valente for helpful discussions. We gratefully acknowledge funding from GIZ and from Improving Institutions for Pro-Poor Growth, a research program consortium funded by the Department for International Development. Contact the corresponding author, Erlend Berg, at erlend.berg@bris tol.ac.uk. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.",

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N2 - Governments in many developing countries offer social welfare schemes that few take up or even know of. We undertake a randomized-controlled evaluation of agents trained in the facilitation of 16 government social welfare schemes in south India. The agents were incentivized to seek out eligible households, provide them with information about the schemes and help them apply. We find that the agents increase scheme awareness, but not application submission or scheme obtention. Among members of government-sponsored community groups, agents have no effect. Scheme-specific analysis suggests that the program may have had an impact on two schemes that were relatively new, subject to special focus under the program and administered by the implementing department. Despite a modest effect on awareness, the intervention led to a significant increase in satisfaction with government services.

AB - Governments in many developing countries offer social welfare schemes that few take up or even know of. We undertake a randomized-controlled evaluation of agents trained in the facilitation of 16 government social welfare schemes in south India. The agents were incentivized to seek out eligible households, provide them with information about the schemes and help them apply. We find that the agents increase scheme awareness, but not application submission or scheme obtention. Among members of government-sponsored community groups, agents have no effect. Scheme-specific analysis suggests that the program may have had an impact on two schemes that were relatively new, subject to special focus under the program and administered by the implementing department. Despite a modest effect on awareness, the intervention led to a significant increase in satisfaction with government services.

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Pushing Welfare: Encouraging Awareness and Uptake of Social Benefits in South India

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Structured keywords

Keywords

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