Journal Article

Evaluating the performance of means-tested benefits in Bulgaria

Authors

Publication date

Nov 2016

Abstract

Using household survey data and microsimulation techniques, we analyse the performance of three means-tested benefits in Bulgaria. We find that the transfers reach a small proportion of households with incomes below a relative poverty line, they have high non take-up rates, and large proportions of the recipients are neither poor nor entitled to receive the benefits. Unsurprisingly, although an important income source for poor households, the benefits have a very small impact on reducing the poverty rates. We show that our results are robust to potential underreporting of benefit receipt in the household survey. Finally, we analyse the effect of five reform scenarios, one of which fiscally neutral, on poverty and find that there is a large scope for policy improvement.

Published in

Journal of Comparative Economics

Volume and page numbers

44 , 919 -935

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jce.2016.02.003

ISSN

16

Subjects

Poverty, Welfare Benefits, and Microsimulation

Links

University of Essex Research Repository - http://repository.essex.ac.uk/16150/; University of Essex Albert Sloman Library Periodicals *restricted to University of Essex registered users* - http://serlib0.essex.ac.uk/record=b1650415~S5

Related publications

1. Evaluating the performance of means-tested benefits in Bulgaria

   Iva Valentinova Tasseva

   EUROMOD Working Paper Series, EM8/12 - 28 Sep 2012 - download  
   1. Poverty
   2. Welfare Benefits
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2. Evaluating the performance of means-tested benefits in Bulgaria

   Iva Valentinova Tasseva

   ISER Working Paper Series, 2012-18 - 25 Sep 2012 - download  
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