Social assistance,
poverty alleviation
(minimum income schemes)
Introduction to the studies

Social assistance in OECD countries
•OECD study: aims/objectives and architecture of social assistance (MIS)
•Objectives: compensation of income/resources, incentive to restore one own´s  sovereignity, social
integration
•Structure of  MIS: general income support, housing support, categorical benefits, tied assistance
•See SA/MIS schemes in OECD study
•Coverage of population at risk of poverty, targeting, generosity
•   (see examples)

Bonny and Bosco, in Saraceno
•Criteria for assessment of key aspects of MIS, which support achivement of the objectives of MIS
•3 dimensions
•Dominant orientation, Conditions of support, Contents of entitlements
•
•Dominant rientation
•Bureaucratic rules versus Individual discretion (assessing entitlements, eligibility)
•Family obligations-solidarity versus Society´s/state´ s obligations-solidarity
•Universalism versus Category
•
•Conditions of support
•Degree of selectivity, strictness of elegibility conditions
•Recipients´ duties

Bonny and Bosco in Saraceno
•Contents of support
•Generosity (replacement rates, …)
•Duration
•Activation measures and support
•
•Discussion of criteria and indications (what else?)
•
•The findings on MIS in different countries: more developped and less developped schemes
•
•SA/MIS as “institutional filters“: who is eligible poor?
•

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