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Can social pensions for the elderly mitigate shocks?: Lessons from Mozambique

Author

Listed:
  • Sara Almeida
  • Hanna Berkel
  • Sam Jones
  • Patricia Justino
  • Telça Massingue
  • Hilário Muchabel

Abstract

This study investigates the contribution of Mozambique's flagship social pension programme, the Programa de Subsídio Social Básico , to building resilience against shocks. Applying a fuzzy regression discontinuity approach to bespoke survey data, we separate direct effects of programme transfers from anticipation effects related to becoming programme-eligible. Our results show that while eligibility is associated with adopting more positive coping strategies, the impact of transfers is mixed.

Suggested Citation

  • Sara Almeida & Hanna Berkel & Sam Jones & Patricia Justino & Telça Massingue & Hilário Muchabel, 2024. "Can social pensions for the elderly mitigate shocks?: Lessons from Mozambique," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2024-90, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
  • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2024-90
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    3. Bold, Tessa & Kimenyi, Mwangi & Mwabu, Germano & Ng’ang’a, Alice & Sandefur, Justin, 2018. "Experimental evidence on scaling up education reforms in Kenya," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 1-20.
    4. Upasak Das & Amartya Paul & Mohit Sharma, 2023. "Reducing Delay in Payments in Welfare Programs: Experimental Evidence from an Information Dissemination Intervention," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 37(3), pages 494-517.
    5. Edmonds, Eric V., 2006. "Child labor and schooling responses to anticipated income in South Africa," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(2), pages 386-414, December.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social protection; Pensions; Mozambique; Old age;
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