Pushing Welfare: Encouraging Awareness and Uptake of Social Benefits in South India

Erlend Berg, D. Rajasekhar and R. Manjula

Economic Development and Cultural Change, 2022, vol. 70, issue 2, 901 - 939

Abstract: Governments in many developing countries offer social welfare schemes that few take up or even know of. We undertake a randomized controlled evaluation of agents trained in the facilitation of 16 government social welfare schemes in south India. The agents were incentivized to seek out eligible households, provide them with information about the schemes, and help them apply. We find that the agents increase scheme awareness but not application submission or scheme obtention. Among members of government-sponsored community groups, agents have no effect. Scheme-specific analysis suggests that the program may have had an impact on two schemes that were relatively new, subject to special focus under the program, and administered by the implementing department. Despite a modest effect on awareness, the intervention led to a significant increase in satisfaction with government services.

Date: 2022
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