The Performance of Social Pensions in India : The Case of Rajasthan

The Government of India has recently announced a dramatic expansion of social pension schemes both in terms of coverage and benefit levels. Yet relatively little is known about how these programs are administered or how well they achieve their obje...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Dutta, Puja Vasudeva
Format: Working Paper
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/07/20172152/performance-social-pensions-india-case-rajasthan
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20197
id okr-10986-20197
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-201972021-04-23T14:03:54Z The Performance of Social Pensions in India : The Case of Rajasthan Dutta, Puja Vasudeva ACCOUNTING BANK ACCOUNTS BENEFICIARY BENEFIT LEVEL BENEFIT LEVELS BENEFIT PAYMENTS CASH TRANSFERS CHECKS CHRONIC POVERTY COMPUTERIZATION OF RECORDS CREDIT PROGRAMS DECEASED HUSBAND DEMOGRAPHIC DISABILITY DISABILITY PENSION DISABILITY PENSIONS DISADVANTAGED GROUPS DISBURSEMENT DISBURSEMENTS DISCRIMINATION DUMMY VARIABLES ECONOMIC STATUS ELDERLY ELDERLY POPULATION EXPENDITURE EXPOSURE FAMILIES FAMILY MEMBERS FEMALE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS FRAUD GENDER HEALTH INSURANCE HOLDING HOLDINGS HOUSEHOLD INCOME HOUSEHOLD SIZE HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUMAN RESOURCE HUSBAND INCOME SECURITY INDIVIDUAL PENSIONER INDIVIDUAL PENSIONERS LACK OF AWARENESS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY LIFE INSURANCE LITERACY LIVING CONDITIONS LOCAL AUTHORITIES MARITAL STATUS MIGRATION MINORITY OLD AGE OLD-AGE PENSION AGE PENSION BENEFICIARIES PENSION BENEFIT PENSION BENEFITS PENSION COVERAGE PENSION PAYMENT PENSION PAYMENTS PENSION PROGRAM PENSION SCHEME PENSION SCHEMES PENSIONER PENSIONERS PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES POLICY CHANGE POPULATION ESTIMATES POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION POST OFFICE POST OFFICES PUBLIC FUNDS PUBLIC PENSIONS QUALITATIVE INFORMATION REGULAR PAYMENTS RESIDENCE RESPECT RETURN RURAL AREAS RURAL CREDIT RURAL DEVELOPMENT RURAL POVERTY SANCTION SOCIAL ASSISTANCE SOCIAL GROUP SOCIAL NETWORKS SOCIAL PENSION SOCIAL PENSIONS SOCIAL PROTECTION SOCIAL SECURITY SOCIAL STATUS SOCIAL WELFARE STATE GOVERNMENTS TRACK RECORD TRANSACTION TRANSACTION COSTS TRANSFER OF FUNDS TRANSPARENCY TRANSPORTATION TREASURIES TREASURY URBAN CENTERS VULNERABILITY VULNERABLE GROUPS WIDOW WIDOWS WILL The Government of India has recently announced a dramatic expansion of social pension schemes both in terms of coverage and benefit levels. Yet relatively little is known about how these programs are administered or how well they achieve their objectives. This paper assesses the performance of a social pension scheme in the Indian state of Rajasthan. In particular, the authors review the experience with respect to program awareness, coverage, targeting, and leakage as well as delivery mechanisms. The overall assessment is positive and holds broader lessons for social assistance in India. Thus, transaction costs once pensions are sanctioned are low, disbursements are largely as per schedule, leakage in the form of shortfalls in benefits is generally low, and satisfaction levels with the social pension scheme are high. At the same time there are clear areas for improvement on both the policy and administration side. There is evidence of under coverage and high transaction costs associated with the application process. Though targeting is generally progressive, especially for old age and widow pensions though less so for disability pensions, targeting is far from perfect and the eligibility criteria are not strictly enforced. There is a strong case for relaxing, rationalizing, and clarifying some of the existing criteria. On the administration front, several basic issues relating to implementation need to be addressed, particularly with respect to transaction costs in the sanction of pensions, wide inter-district variations in performance within the state, and inadequate record-keeping and monitoring. 2014-09-17T17:21:44Z 2014-09-17T17:21:44Z 2008-07 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/07/20172152/performance-social-pensions-india-case-rajasthan http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20197 English en_US Social protection discussion paper;no. 0834 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Working Paper India
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic ACCOUNTING
BANK ACCOUNTS
BENEFICIARY
BENEFIT LEVEL
BENEFIT LEVELS
BENEFIT PAYMENTS
CASH TRANSFERS
CHECKS
CHRONIC POVERTY
COMPUTERIZATION OF RECORDS
CREDIT PROGRAMS
DECEASED HUSBAND
DEMOGRAPHIC
DISABILITY
DISABILITY PENSION
DISABILITY PENSIONS
DISADVANTAGED GROUPS
DISBURSEMENT
DISBURSEMENTS
DISCRIMINATION
DUMMY VARIABLES
ECONOMIC STATUS
ELDERLY
ELDERLY POPULATION
EXPENDITURE
EXPOSURE
FAMILIES
FAMILY MEMBERS
FEMALE
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS
FRAUD
GENDER
HEALTH INSURANCE
HOLDING
HOLDINGS
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
HOUSEHOLD SIZE
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN RESOURCE
HUSBAND
INCOME SECURITY
INDIVIDUAL PENSIONER
INDIVIDUAL PENSIONERS
LACK OF AWARENESS
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
LIFE INSURANCE
LITERACY
LIVING CONDITIONS
LOCAL AUTHORITIES
MARITAL STATUS
MIGRATION
MINORITY
OLD AGE
OLD-AGE
PENSION AGE
PENSION BENEFICIARIES
PENSION BENEFIT
PENSION BENEFITS
PENSION COVERAGE
PENSION PAYMENT
PENSION PAYMENTS
PENSION PROGRAM
PENSION SCHEME
PENSION SCHEMES
PENSIONER
PENSIONERS
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
POLICY CHANGE
POPULATION ESTIMATES
POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION
POST OFFICE
POST OFFICES
PUBLIC FUNDS
PUBLIC PENSIONS
QUALITATIVE INFORMATION
REGULAR PAYMENTS
RESIDENCE
RESPECT
RETURN
RURAL AREAS
RURAL CREDIT
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
RURAL POVERTY
SANCTION
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE
SOCIAL GROUP
SOCIAL NETWORKS
SOCIAL PENSION
SOCIAL PENSIONS
SOCIAL PROTECTION
SOCIAL SECURITY
SOCIAL STATUS
SOCIAL WELFARE
STATE GOVERNMENTS
TRACK RECORD
TRANSACTION
TRANSACTION COSTS
TRANSFER OF FUNDS
TRANSPARENCY
TRANSPORTATION
TREASURIES
TREASURY
URBAN CENTERS
VULNERABILITY
VULNERABLE GROUPS
WIDOW
WIDOWS
WILL
spellingShingle ACCOUNTING
BANK ACCOUNTS
BENEFICIARY
BENEFIT LEVEL
BENEFIT LEVELS
BENEFIT PAYMENTS
CASH TRANSFERS
CHECKS
CHRONIC POVERTY
COMPUTERIZATION OF RECORDS
CREDIT PROGRAMS
DECEASED HUSBAND
DEMOGRAPHIC
DISABILITY
DISABILITY PENSION
DISABILITY PENSIONS
DISADVANTAGED GROUPS
DISBURSEMENT
DISBURSEMENTS
DISCRIMINATION
DUMMY VARIABLES
ECONOMIC STATUS
ELDERLY
ELDERLY POPULATION
EXPENDITURE
EXPOSURE
FAMILIES
FAMILY MEMBERS
FEMALE
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS
FRAUD
GENDER
HEALTH INSURANCE
HOLDING
HOLDINGS
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
HOUSEHOLD SIZE
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN RESOURCE
HUSBAND
INCOME SECURITY
INDIVIDUAL PENSIONER
INDIVIDUAL PENSIONERS
LACK OF AWARENESS
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
LIFE INSURANCE
LITERACY
LIVING CONDITIONS
LOCAL AUTHORITIES
MARITAL STATUS
MIGRATION
MINORITY
OLD AGE
OLD-AGE
PENSION AGE
PENSION BENEFICIARIES
PENSION BENEFIT
PENSION BENEFITS
PENSION COVERAGE
PENSION PAYMENT
PENSION PAYMENTS
PENSION PROGRAM
PENSION SCHEME
PENSION SCHEMES
PENSIONER
PENSIONERS
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
POLICY CHANGE
POPULATION ESTIMATES
POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION
POST OFFICE
POST OFFICES
PUBLIC FUNDS
PUBLIC PENSIONS
QUALITATIVE INFORMATION
REGULAR PAYMENTS
RESIDENCE
RESPECT
RETURN
RURAL AREAS
RURAL CREDIT
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
RURAL POVERTY
SANCTION
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE
SOCIAL GROUP
SOCIAL NETWORKS
SOCIAL PENSION
SOCIAL PENSIONS
SOCIAL PROTECTION
SOCIAL SECURITY
SOCIAL STATUS
SOCIAL WELFARE
STATE GOVERNMENTS
TRACK RECORD
TRANSACTION
TRANSACTION COSTS
TRANSFER OF FUNDS
TRANSPARENCY
TRANSPORTATION
TREASURIES
TREASURY
URBAN CENTERS
VULNERABILITY
VULNERABLE GROUPS
WIDOW
WIDOWS
WILL
Dutta, Puja Vasudeva
The Performance of Social Pensions in India : The Case of Rajasthan
geographic_facet India
relation Social protection discussion paper;no. 0834
description The Government of India has recently announced a dramatic expansion of social pension schemes both in terms of coverage and benefit levels. Yet relatively little is known about how these programs are administered or how well they achieve their objectives. This paper assesses the performance of a social pension scheme in the Indian state of Rajasthan. In particular, the authors review the experience with respect to program awareness, coverage, targeting, and leakage as well as delivery mechanisms. The overall assessment is positive and holds broader lessons for social assistance in India. Thus, transaction costs once pensions are sanctioned are low, disbursements are largely as per schedule, leakage in the form of shortfalls in benefits is generally low, and satisfaction levels with the social pension scheme are high. At the same time there are clear areas for improvement on both the policy and administration side. There is evidence of under coverage and high transaction costs associated with the application process. Though targeting is generally progressive, especially for old age and widow pensions though less so for disability pensions, targeting is far from perfect and the eligibility criteria are not strictly enforced. There is a strong case for relaxing, rationalizing, and clarifying some of the existing criteria. On the administration front, several basic issues relating to implementation need to be addressed, particularly with respect to transaction costs in the sanction of pensions, wide inter-district variations in performance within the state, and inadequate record-keeping and monitoring.
format Publications & Research :: Working Paper
author Dutta, Puja Vasudeva
author_facet Dutta, Puja Vasudeva
author_sort Dutta, Puja Vasudeva
title The Performance of Social Pensions in India : The Case of Rajasthan
title_short The Performance of Social Pensions in India : The Case of Rajasthan
title_full The Performance of Social Pensions in India : The Case of Rajasthan
title_fullStr The Performance of Social Pensions in India : The Case of Rajasthan
title_full_unstemmed The Performance of Social Pensions in India : The Case of Rajasthan
title_sort performance of social pensions in india : the case of rajasthan
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2014
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/07/20172152/performance-social-pensions-india-case-rajasthan
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20197
_version_ 1764444946813681664