Just Give Money to the Poor

"This is the most recent of my book choices – only just published. It argues the case for making financial transfers to poor people in developing countries, as an efficient and effective way towards reducing poverty. This, of course, is linked to the first Millennium Development Goal, the commitment to halve the proportion of people living in poverty by 2015. The book shows that the last five to ten years, social transfers (as they are called or sometimes social protection measures) have been adopted more and more by developing countries and have become something of a fashion among aid donors. Brazil, for example, has a system of transferring money for poor families and children, the Bolsa Familia. This is well described and analysed here. President Lula has combined this with pensions for older people. What is interesting is that well over 100 million people in different countries are now receiving some form of social protection. Often this is linked to conditions which poor families must fulfil, very positive conditions. For instance, in Mexico social protection measures require that mothers, to be eligible, take themselves and their young children for regular health check-ups or, if they are pregnant, to go to a clinic three times for check-ups. And in Mexico and other countries children must attend primary school if their families are to get the social protection transfers. This book gives evidence to show that such measures of social protection can work. Indeed, one of the good things about this book is that it argues along the lines of the provocative title – Just Give Money to the Poor. It gives the evidence to show that it is often more effective than more complicated systems which often fall prey to bureaucracy or corruption."