Extending Social Assistance in China: Lessons from the Minimum Living Standard Scheme

28 Pages Posted: 19 Jan 2009

See all articles by Jiandong Chen

Jiandong Chen

Southwestern University of Finance and Economics

Armando Barrientos

Global Development Institute

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: January 19, 2008

Abstract

Facing rapid demographic, social and economic transformation, China has taken steps to extend and strengthen the urban Minimum Living Standard Scheme (MLSS). The MLSS is a social assistance programme initially focused on the chronically poor, but later extended to the long-term unemployed. The extension of the MLSS led to a rise in the number of beneficiaries from 2.6 million in 1999 to 20.6 million in 2002, although long-term poor migrants remain excluded. There has also been a broadening of the MLSS, focused initially on mainly income transfers, but later including education and health exemptions, community work, and housing. This paper outlines these trends and discusses what lessons other developing countries could learn from the extension of social assistance in China.

Keywords: social assistance, urban poor, poverty line, social protection

JEL Classification: I30

Suggested Citation

Chen, Jiandong and Barrientos, Armando, Extending Social Assistance in China: Lessons from the Minimum Living Standard Scheme (January 19, 2008). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1329973 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1329973

Jiandong Chen (Contact Author)

Southwestern University of Finance and Economics ( email )

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Armando Barrientos

Global Development Institute ( email )

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Manchester, M13 9PL
United Kingdom
+44 (0)1613066436 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.manchester.ac.uk/gdi

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