Universal versus Targeted Benefits: The Distributional Effects of Free School Meals

10.1068/c0457 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 583-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo J Morelli ◽  
Paul T Seaman
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Current System ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Policy Debate ◽  
School Meals ◽  
Welfare Provision ◽  
Free School ◽  
The Past ◽  
State Education ◽  
The Impact

UK government policy over the past thirty years has seen a movement away from universal provision of welfare towards the targeting of welfare. The advent of devolution in Scotland, and to a lesser degree Wales, has, however, created new policy forums in which the shift towards targeted benefits has been reversed in a number of important fields. Welfare provision in relation to children is a further key area in which this policy debate has emerged. Little evidence has been provided for the effectiveness of this shift in policy until now. We examine the effect of this divergence in welfare policy. We look at the issue of universality and targeting by examining the impact of the proposal for the introduction of universal free school meals to all children in full-time state education. The current system of free school meals is found to be the least effective method of welfare provision. Other methods of targeting are found to be more effective than the current system, but universal provision is found to be the only mechanism for consistently providing welfare to all low-income households.

Dynamics of affordability and immigration in the Canadian housing market

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikkram Singh
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Housing Affordability ◽  
Immigrant Integration ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Essential Contribution ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to make two major contributions. First, given the literature gap in housing unaffordability for different immigrant groups in Canada, it makes an essential contribution to the literature. To the best of the knowledge, this study is the first study of its kind to examine housing unaffordability by examining different immigrant groups. Second, differences in unaffordability can help understand the decline in welfare, as it can have financial implications and a negative impact on health outcomes. Third, this study’s findings are valuable for policy formulation to improve immigrant integration and ease the housing unaffordability crisis. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the determinants of housing affordability to investigate differences among various immigrant groups in Canada. A bivariate logit model using public microdata from the Canadian census estimates the determinants of moderate and severe unaffordability. Additionally, the separation of tenants and owners provides insights into the dynamics of unaffordability. The results show significant differences between immigrant groups with higher levels of unaffordability among Asian immigrants. The insights can help devise and implement housing assistance programs to address the challenges arising from the post-COVID-19 pandemic phase. Findings The results indicate that unaffordability declines with increasing age, education and full-time employment. Gender dynamics are evident, with women faring worse than men regarding the likelihood of extreme housing unaffordability. Households face a greater likelihood of unaffordability in more populous provinces and larger census metropolitan areas that struggle with the high cost of living, racial disparities and low income. Immigrants, especially from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, continue to struggle with chronic and severe unaffordability issues. The impact is much more severe for those renting, exemplifying the strain it is taking on the financial health of recent immigrants. Originality/value Given the literature gap in housing unaffordability for different immigrant groups in Canada, it makes an essential contribution to the literature. To the best of the knowledge, this study is the first study of its kind to examine housing unaffordability by examining different immigrant groups.

scholarly journals The impact of African-trained neurosurgeons on sub-Saharan Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. E4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Karekezi ◽  
Abdeslam El Khamlichi ◽  
Abdessamad El Ouahabi ◽  
Najia El Abbadi ◽  
Semevo Alidegnon Ahokpossi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
National Income ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Federation ◽  
Neurosurgical Procedures ◽  
Ct Scanner ◽  
The Past ◽  
The World ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

OBJECTIVESub-Saharan Africa (SSA) represents 17% of the world’s land, 14% of the population, and 1% of the gross domestic product. Previous reports have indicated that 81/500 African neurosurgeons (16.2%) worked in SSA—i.e., 1 neurosurgeon per 6 million inhabitants. Over the past decades, efforts have been made to improve neurosurgery availability in SSA. In this study, the authors provide an update by means of the polling of neurosurgeons who trained in North Africa and went back to practice in SSA.METHODSNeurosurgeons who had full training at the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) Rabat Training Center (RTC) over the past 16 years were polled with an 18-question survey focused on demographics, practice/case types, and operating room equipment availability.RESULTSData collected from all 21 (100%) WFNS RTC graduates showed that all neurosurgeons returned to work to SSA in 12 different countries, 90% working in low-income and 10% in lower-middle-income countries, defined by the World Bank as a Gross National Income per capita of ≤ US$995 and US$996–$3895, respectively. The cumulative population in the geographical areas in which they practice is 267 million, with a total of 102 neurosurgeons reported, resulting in 1 neurosurgeon per 2.62 million inhabitants. Upon return to SSA, WFNS RTC graduates were employed in public/private hospitals (62%), military hospitals (14.3%), academic centers (14.3%), and private practice (9.5%). The majority reported an even split between spine and cranial and between trauma and elective; 71% performed between 50 and more than 100 neurosurgical procedures/year. Equipment available varied across the cohort. A CT scanner was available to 86%, MRI to 38%, surgical microscope to 33%, endoscope to 19.1%, and neuronavigation to 0%. Three (14.3%) neurosurgeons had access to none of the above.CONCLUSIONSNeurosurgery availability in SSA has significantly improved over the past decade thanks to the dedication of senior African neurosurgeons, organizations, and volunteers who believed in forming the new neurosurgery generation in the same continent where they practice. Challenges include limited resources and the need to continue expanding efforts in local neurosurgery training and continuing medical education. Focus on affordable and low-maintenance technology is needed.

scholarly journals The Role of Technology in Nigerian Catfish Production: A Review

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Ijabo Ogah ◽  
Goshen David Miteu ◽  
Emmanuel Oluwasogo Oyewole ◽  
Josephine Oluseyi Adebayo ◽  
Elohozino Oghale Benneth
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
Economic Systems ◽  
Relative Poverty ◽  
Demand And Supply ◽  
The Past ◽  
Slow Development ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Considerable Pressure

This article examines the state of Catfish production in Nigeria and the roles technology has played over the past decades. Heightened demand as a result of increased population puts considerable pressure on production. In response to this pressure aquaculturists ramped up production activities, this demand-driven increase exposes the major gaps as the industry struggles to cope with the absence of fundamental structures like inadequate structured funding, markets, processing and preservation facilities among others. Such gaps exist in all aspects of aquaculture and technology is a viable plug for many of them. The aquaculture of developing nations has certain peculiarities which predispose it to slow development. Many fishermen and aquaculturists in low-income regions are trapped in economic systems that result in relative poverty. Many reasons have been put forward to explain the dynamics behind these consequences with technology playing a major role from the consensus. Rapid advances in hatchery, water quality and molecular technology have been identified as some of the active drivers of Catfish production in Nigeria. The article focuses on the history, progress and prospects of aquaculture technology in Nigeria. It does so by reviewing the technologies already established in Catfish farming and the impact of their roles in balancing fish demand and supply.

Approaches to Macrofinancial Surveillance in Article IV Reports

Policy Papers ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Financial Sector ◽  
Policy Advice ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Financial Shocks ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
The Past ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

The Fund has made good progress over the past two years in integrating macrofinancial analysis into Article IV surveillance for a wide range of members. Building on past work to enhance financial sector analysis, Fund staff has sought to develop a consistent and forward-looking view on how the financial sector affects each member’s economic outlook with the aim of strengthening staff’s capacity to provide advice on macro-critical questions. The focus has been on developing a fuller understanding of macrofinancial linkages, and applying this analysis to inform policy advice. Staff has sought to articulate the role of the financial sector in the macroeconomic baseline, and to integrate the financial sector into the risk assessment, taking into account both the impact of macro shocks on the financial sector as well as the effect of financial shocks on macroeconomic stability. Strengthening the analytical foundations of this work has helped staff provide advice in all policy areas, including financial sector policies. Staff has tailored macrofinancial analysis to the circumstances of a diverse set of economies. Area departments have taken the lead in selecting 66 economies for enhanced macrofinancial coverage and in identifying topics, drawing on targeted support from functional departments. The choice of coverage has included legacies from the global financial crisis—such as deleveraging and stretched balance sheets in advanced economies and some emerging markets—and more recent challenges such as commodity price shocks, especially in low income countries, and the risks of housing booms. The financial sector’s contribution to growth and inclusion has become an important question in countries across all income groups. Staff sees benefits in mainstreaming this approach across the membership, while continuing to address analytical gaps and adapting to new challenges. The work of the past two years has underscored the criticality of macrofinancial analysis for a diverse range of members, and laid the basis for progressively mainstreaming macrofinancial surveillance across the membership. Building on this progress, staff sees scope for the Fund to deepen its understanding of the macroeconomic effects of financial shocks, to better adapt microprudential and macroprudential policy advice with an assessment of macro-critical risks including systemic risk, and to deepen the analysis of outward spillovers. Staff will also need to continue to adapt the focus of analysis and tools, and seek relevant data, as economic challenges evolve.

Reforming Housing Assistance

2019 ◽  
Vol 686 (1) ◽  
pp. 250-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Collinson ◽  
Ingrid Gould Ellen ◽  
Jens Ludwig
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Current System ◽  
Housing Assistance ◽  
Market Conditions ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Limited Government ◽  
The Third ◽  
Federal Housing ◽  
The Impact

This article reviews current federal housing assistance policies and briefly summarizes research evidence about the efficacy of the different programs. We identify three key challenges that these programs face in meeting their stated objectives and suggest strategies for addressing them. The first challenge is the large variation in market conditions across the country, which makes it difficult to design assistance programs that are universally appropriate. We call for adjusting the type of assistance across markets, allowing for a greater match between subsidies and needs. The second set of challenges concerns subsidy generosity, structure, and targeting. The current system provides large subsidies to a small number of low-income households while providing nothing to most. Assuming limited government resources, we call for exploring the impact of more modest or time-limited subsidies to serve more people with more attention to targeting. The third challenge is the relatively poor location of housing in current assistance programs. We suggest strategies to help more assisted families reach high-opportunity areas.

scholarly journals In2scienceUK helps students get into university

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 50
Author(s):  
Rebecca McKelvey
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Private Schools ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Independent Schools ◽  
School Meals ◽  
Free School ◽  
Student Fees ◽  
Bright Students

With student fees increasing and with degrees at top research-intensive universities being overrepresented by students from private schools, bright students from low income backgrounds face a number of barriers when pursuing their interests in science. This is reflected in a report by the Sutton trust in 2010 stating that 18% of pupils on free school meals progressed to higher education compared with 36% on non-free school meals and 96% at independent schools.

Simulation of scenarios for overcoming absolute monetary poverty in Russia based on the concept of unconditional basic income

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-215
Author(s):  
Vyacheslav Bobkov ◽  
Valeriy Antipov ◽  
Igor Kolmakov ◽  
Ekaterina Chernykh
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Current System ◽  
Basic Income ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Full Compliance ◽  
Subsistence Minimum ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The article is devoted to modeling the possibilities of overcoming absolute monetary poverty in Russia based on the concept of an unconditional basic income (UBI). It is shown that due to the unclear consequences of the impact of the introduction of UBI payments on various aspects of the life of modern societies, due to the impossibility of making payments in full compliance with the basic principles of UBI, such as universality and unconditionality due to political, economic and other restrictions, imitation is widely used in the world to evaluate its possible effects. A review of approaches to simulation modeling in the EU countries, international research, and financial organizations (OECD, World Bank, International Monetary Fund) and the Russian experience in modeling the effects of the introduction of transitional forms of UBI is carried out. The formulation of the task of introducing the UBI to overcome absolute monetary poverty has been carried out. It is shown that to solve this problem, it is expedient to consider the UBI as a guaranteed minimum per capita income of a poor household, equal to the regional subsistence minimum or the conditional basic income for overcoming poverty. To increase the actual incomes of low-income households up to the regional subsistence minimum, it is proposed to pay them, after providing standard targeted social support, the additional differentiated regional social payment (poverty benefit). Algorithms for determining this payment have been developed. The substantiation of the possibility and feasibility of modeling the effects of poverty benefit according to the domestic model of the tempo-deflator type has been carried out. The results of predictive calculations for this model are presented. It is shown that the additional revenues of the consolidated budget of the Russian Federation not only compensate for the initial costs of implementing the conditional UBI program but also annually exceed the initial costs by about 1,35 times. The country's leadership was proposed to combine the current system of targeted social support for the poor with payments of the conditional UBI to more consistently solve the problem of absolute monetary poverty

scholarly journals Implementation of Universal Infant Free School Meals: a pilot study in NE England exploring the impact on Key Stage 1 pupil’s dietary intake

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Suzanne Spence ◽  
John NS Matthews ◽  
Lorraine McSweeney ◽  
Maisie K Rowland ◽  
Phoebe Orango ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Schools ◽  
School Level ◽  
Dietary Intakes ◽  
School Meals ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Free School ◽  
Total Diet ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Universal Infant

Abstract Objective: To consider the principal effect of an interaction between year (pre- and post-Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM)) and school on pupil’s dietary intakes. Design: A repeated cross-sectional survey using dietary data from 2008 to 2009 (pre-) and 2017 to 2018 (post-UIFSM) Setting: Two primary schools, NE England. Participants: Pupils aged 4–7 years (2008–2009 n 121; 2017–2018 n 87). Results: At lunchtime, there was a statistically significant decrease in pupils non-milk extrinsic sugars intake (%E NMEs) pre- to post-UIFSM (mean change –4·6 %; 95 % CI –6·3, –2·9); this was reflected in total diet (–3·8 %; –5·2, –2·7 %). A year and school interaction was found for mean Ca intakes: post-UIFSM pupils in School 2 had a similar mean intake as pre; in School 1 intakes had increased (difference of difference: –120 mg; 95 % CI –179, –62); no reflection in total diet. Post-UIFSM mean portions of yogurt decreased in School 2 and remained similar in School 1 (–0·25; –0·46, –0·04); this was similar for ‘cake/pudding’ and fruit. Conclusions: Within the limitations, these findings highlight positives and limitations following UIFSM implementation and demonstrate the role of school-level food practices on pupil’s choices. To facilitate maximum potential of UIFSM, national levers, such as discussions on updating school food standards, including sugars, could consider removing the daily ‘pudding’ option and advocate ‘fruit only’ options 1 d/week, as some schools do currently. Small school-level changes could maximise positive health impacts by decreasing NMEs intake. A more robust evaluation is imperative to consider dietary impacts, equitability and wider effects on schools and families.

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