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

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  • Thomas F. Crossley
  • Federico Zilio

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 households with a member above the female state pension age. 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, 6 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 less robust.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas F. Crossley & Federico Zilio, 2018. "The health benefits of a targeted cash transfer: The UK Winter Fuel Payment," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(9), pages 1354-1365, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:27:y:2018:i:9:p:1354-1365
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.3666
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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. 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).
    2. Llorca, Manuel & Rodriguez-Alvarez, Ana & Jamasb, Tooraj, 2020. "Objective vs. subjective fuel poverty and self-assessed health," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    3. 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).
    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. 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).
    7. Jayachandran, Seema & Chirakijja, Janjala & Ong, Pinchuan, 2019. "Inexpensive Heating Reduces Winter Mortality," CEPR Discussion Papers 13603, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    8. 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.
    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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