Welfare reforms and child well-being in the US and UK

Waldfogel, Jane (2007) Welfare reforms and child well-being in the US and UK. CASEpapers (126). Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London, UK.

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Abstract

This paper examines the effects of recent welfare reforms in the US and UK on the well-being of children in low-income families, looking specifically at the effects on poverty, family expenditures, and child health and development. The paper finds some commonalities but also some notable differences. Common to both countries is a sizable reduction in child poverty, although the reduction in child poverty in the US has been less, and some families appear to have been left behind. Expenditure data also point to divergence across the two countries. In the UK, low-income families affected by the reforms are spending more money on items related to children and are more likely to own a car and a phone, while in the US, families affected by welfare reforms are primarily spending more money on items related to employment but not items for children. Finally, a common finding across countries is a relative dearth of more direct evidence on the well-being of children, and specifically how the reforms have affected child health and development. Identifying such effects remains an important topic for further research.

Item Type:	Monograph (Discussion Paper)
Official URL:	http://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/case
Additional Information:	© 2007 The Author
Divisions:	Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
JEL classification:	I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I3 - Welfare and Poverty J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics
Date Deposited:	30 Jun 2008 13:32
Last Modified:	15 Sep 2023 23:11
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/6208

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