The Impact of Emergency Cash Assistance in a Pandemic: Experimental Evidence from Colombia
通过随机对照试验，研究哥伦比亚无条件现金转移对贫困家庭福祉、社会合作及移动支付推广的影响，为疫情应急政策提供证据。
Abstract We study the impact of money on households during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, Colombia rolled out a new unconditional cash transfer (UCT) to 1 million households in poverty worth US$19 (PPP US$55.6) and paid every five to eight weeks. Using a randomized control trial and linked administrative and survey data, we find the UCT had positive (albeit modest) effects on measures of household well-being (e.g., financial health, food access). Moreover, the UCT boosted support for emergency assistance to households and firms during the crisis and promoted social cooperation. Finally, we explore the bottlenecks in expanding mobile money during a pandemic.