American Economic Journal:
Economic Policy
ISSN 1945-7731 (Print) | ISSN 1945-774X (Online)
Perils of the Paperwork: The Impact of Information and Application Assistance on Social Benefit Take-Up in India
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
(pp. 342–71)
Abstract
Governments worldwide administer social programs for vulnerable groups, yet many eligible citizens fail to benefit. This paper studies barriers to take-up of an unconditional cash transfer program for poor women in Delhi, India, where only one-third of eligible individuals were enrolled. In a randomized experiment with eligible women, providing program information alone increased applications only among the literate. Adding basic or intensive application assistance, however, raised average application rates by 41 percent and 70 percent, respectively, and expanded access among more vulnerable women. These results suggest that application ordeals can limit take-up by those with high need.Citation
Gupta, Sarika. 2026. "Perils of the Paperwork: The Impact of Information and Application Assistance on Social Benefit Take-Up in India." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 18 (3): 342–71. DOI: 10.1257/pol.20240212Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D83 Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
- I32 Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
- I38 Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration