Description

Mexico’s main social support program, Oportunidades, combines two methods to target cash to poor households: an initial self-selection by households who acquire knowledge about the program and apply for benefits, followed by an administrative determination of eligibility based on a means test. Self-selection improves targeting by excluding high-income households, while administrative targeting does so mainly by excluding middle-income households. The two methods are complementary: expanding program knowledge across households substantially increases applications from non-poor households, thus reinforcing the importance of administrative targeting. The paper shows that targeting can be further improved through redesigning the means test and differentiating transfers according to demographic characteristics.

People who purchased this product also purchased

Canada: Financial Sector Assessment Program - Detailed Assessment of Observance of the CPSS/IOSCO Recommendations for Securities Settlement Systems ($18.00)

Canada: 2007Article IV Consultation - Staff Report; and Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion ($18.00)

Canada: 2006 Article IV Consultation - Staff Report; Staff Supplement; and Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion ($15.00)

Taxonomy

Economic policy , Social policy

More publications in this series: Working Papers

More publications by: David Coady ; Susan Parker