Welfare, Work, and Poverty: Social Assistance in China (International Policy Exchange Series)

Welfare, Work, and Poverty provides the first systematic and comprehensive evaluation of the impacts and effectiveness of China's primary social assistance program -- Minimum Livelihood Guarantee, or Dibao -- since its inception in 1993. Dibao serves the dual function of providing a basic safety net for the poor and maintaining social and political stability. Despite currently being the world's largest welfare program in terms of population coverage, evidence on Dibao's performance has been lacking. This book offers important new empirical evidence and draws policy lessons that are timely and useful for both China and beyond. Specifically, author Qin Gao addresses the following questions: · How effective has Dibao been in targeting the poor and alleviating poverty? · Have the Dibao recipients been dependent on welfare or able to move from welfare to work? · How has Dibao affected recipients' consumption patterns and subjective well-being? · Do they use the Dibao subsidy to meet survival needs (such as food, clothing, and shelter) or invest in human capital (such as health and education)? · Are they distressed by the stigma associated with receiving Dibao or do they become more optimistic about future and enjoy greater life satisfaction because of the Dibao support? · And finally, what policy lessons can we learn from the existing evidence in order to strengthen and improve Dibao in the future? Answers to these questions not only help us gain an in-depth understanding of Dibao's performance, but also add the Chinese case to the growing international literature on comparative welfare studies. Welfare, Work, and Poverty is essential reading for political scientists, economists, sociologists, public policy researchers, and social workers interested in learning about and understanding contemporary China. This book provides the first systematic evaluation of the impact and effectiveness of China’s primary social assistance program, Minimum Livelihood Guarantee, or Dibao. Dibao serves the dual functions of providing a basic safety net for the poor and maintaining political and social stability. Despite currently being the world’s largest welfare program in terms of population coverage, evidence on Dibao’s performance has been lacking. This book offers important new empirical evidence and draws policy lessons that are timely and useful for both China and beyond. Specifically, the book addresses the following questions: How effective has Dibao been in targeting the poor and alleviating poverty? Have Dibao recipients been dependent on welfare or able to move from welfare to work? How has Dibao affected their consumption patterns and subjective well-being? Do they use the Dibao subsidy to meet survival needs (such as food, clothing, and shelter) or invest in human capital (such as health and education)? Are they distressed by the stigma associated with receiving Dibao, or do they become more optimistic about the future and enjoy greater life satisfaction because of Dibao support? And finally, what policy lessons can we learn from the existing evidence to strengthen and improve Dibao in the future? Answers to these questions not only help us gain an in-depth understanding of Dibao’s performance but also add the Chinese case to the growing international literature on comparative welfare studies. Welfare, Work, And Poverty Provides A Systematic Evaluation Of The Impacts And Effectiveness Of China's Primary Social Assistance Program--minimum Livelihood Guarantee, Or Dibao--since Its Inception In 1993. Dibao Serves The Dual Function Of Providing A Basic Safety Net For The Poor And Maintaining Social And Political Stability. Despite Currently Being The World's Largest Welfare Program In Terms Of Population Coverage, Evidence On Dibao's Performance Has Been Lacking. This Book Offers Important New Empirical Evidence And Draws Policy Lessons That Are Timely And Useful For Both China And Beyond. -- Provided By The Publisher Introduction -- Background, Inception, And Development -- Thresholds, Financing, And Beneficiaries -- Targeting Performance -- Anti-poverty Effectiveness -- From Welfare To Work -- Family Expenditures And Human Capital Investment -- Social Participation And Subjective Well-being -- What Next? : Policy Solutions And Research Directions -- References -- Acknowledgements. Qin Gao. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Welfare, Work, and Poverty provides a systematic evaluation of the impacts and effectiveness of China's primary social assistance program--Minimum Livelihood Guarantee, or Dibao--since its inception in 1993. Dibao serves the dual function of providing a basic safety net for the poor and maintaining social and political stability. Despite currently being the world's largest welfare program in terms of population coverage, evidence on Dibao's performance has been lacking. This book offers important new empirical evidence and draws policy lessons that are timely and useful for both China and beyond." -- Provided by the publisher Provided by publisher Welfare, Work, and Poverty provides the first systematic and comprehensive evaluation of the impacts and effectiveness of China's primary social assistance program -- Minimum Livelihood Guarantee, or Dibao -- the world's largest welfare program. The text offers new empirical evidence and draws policy lessons that are timely and useful for both China and beyond. It is essential reading for those interested in learning about and understanding contemporary China This volume provides the first systematic and comprehensive evaluation of the impacts and effectiveness of China's primary social assistance program - Minimum Livelihood Guarantee, or Dibao - the world's largest welfare program. It offers new empirical evidence and draws policy lessons that are timely and useful for both China and beyond. It is essential reading for those interested in learning about and understanding contemporary China