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The Impact of Government Transfer Payment Frequency on Consumption: Evidence from Delayed UI

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Abstract

We study how the frequency of government transfer payments affects spending behavior. Our empirical approach uses transaction-level data on income and spending and exploits quasi-random delays in the receipt of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. Spending drops by about half of the loss in income that occurs while individuals wait for UI benefits, revealing the value of periodic payments for liquidity-constrained individuals. Once delayed payments are received as lump sums, individuals reallocate spending toward less commonly purchased big-ticket categories that are dominated by durables. Our findings suggest that transfer programs with mixed frequencies, such as advance disbursements of lump-sum tax credits, can be beneficial to recipients.

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  • Michael Gelman & Zachary Orlando & Dhiren Patki, 2024. "The Impact of Government Transfer Payment Frequency on Consumption: Evidence from Delayed UI," Working Papers 24-16, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedbwp:99291
    DOI: 10.29412/res.wp.2024.16
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jose Luengo-Prado, Maria, 2006. "Durables, nondurables, down payments and consumption excesses," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(7), pages 1509-1539, October.
    2. Peter Ganong & Pascal Noel, 2019. "Consumer Spending during Unemployment: Positive and Normative Implications," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(7), pages 2383-2424, July.
    3. Peter Ganong & Fiona Greig & Pascal Noel & Daniel M. Sullivan & Joseph Vavra, 2024. "Spending and Job-Finding Impacts of Expanded Unemployment Benefits: Evidence from Administrative Micro Data," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(9), pages 2898-2939, September.
    4. Sun, Liyang & Abraham, Sarah, 2021. "Estimating dynamic treatment effects in event studies with heterogeneous treatment effects," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 225(2), pages 175-199.
    5. Scott Ross Baker & Contantine Yannelis, 2017. "Income Changes and Consumption: Evidence from the 2013 Federal Government Shutdown," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 23, pages 99-124, January.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    consumption smoothing; unemployment benefits; liquidity shocks;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household

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