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...
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2014
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/07/20172152/performance-social-pensions-india-case-rajasthan http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20197 |
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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 |