The Impact of Social Assistance Programmes in a Pandemic: Evidence from Kenya

ZEF – Discussion Papers on Development Policy No. 316, Center for Development Research, Bonn, May 2022, pp. 29.

32 Pages Posted: 24 May 2022

See all articles by Christoph Strupat

Christoph Strupat

Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) - German Development Institute (DIE)

Emmanuel Nshakira-Rukundo

German Development Institute (DIE)

Date Written: May 22, 2022

Abstract

This paper examines whether social protection – in the form of existing social assistance programmes - affects measures of household well-being such as poverty, food security and costly risk-coping behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using primary data from nationally representative, in-person surveys in Kenya allows the exploration of the impacts of major social assistance programmes. Our analysis employs the doubly robust difference-in-differences approach to estimate the impacts of social assistance programmes on common measures of household welfare. We find that social assistance programmes significantly reduce the prevalence of economic shocks and the further impoverishment of beneficiaries during the pandemic. Furthermore, households with social assistance coverage are less likely to sell assets as a coping strategy. Overall, the results suggest that, during a systematic crisis such as a pandemic, pre-existing social assistance schemes can deliver positive impacts in line with the primary goals of social safety nets and prevent households from falling deeper into poverty by preserving their asset base.

Keywords: cash transfers, COVID-19, Kenya

JEL Classification: I32, I38

Suggested Citation

Strupat, Christoph and Nshakira-Rukundo, Emmanuel, The Impact of Social Assistance Programmes in a Pandemic: Evidence from Kenya (May 22, 2022). ZEF – Discussion Papers on Development Policy No. 316, Center for Development Research, Bonn, May 2022, pp. 29., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4116795 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4116795

Christoph Strupat (Contact Author)

Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) - German Development Institute (DIE) ( email )

Tulpenfeld 4
Bonn, 53113
Germany

Emmanuel Nshakira-Rukundo

German Development Institute (DIE) ( email )

Bonn
Germany

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