American Economic Journal:
Economic Policy
ISSN 1945-7731 (Print) | ISSN 1945-774X (Online)
Take-up of Social Benefits: Experimental Evidence from France
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
(pp. 1–29)
Abstract
We report on two nationwide experiments with job seekers in France. We first show that a meeting with social services to assess eligibility and help with applications to social benefits increased new benefit take-up by 29 percent. By contrast, an online simulator that gave personalized information on benefit eligibility did not increase take-up. Marginal treatment effects show that individuals who benefit the most from the meetings are the least likely to attend. Overall, without ruling out information frictions, our results suggest that transaction costs represent the main obstacle to applying for benefits or accessing government's assistance in applying.Citation
Castell, Laura, Marc Gurgand, Clément Imbert, and Todor Tochev. 2025. "Take-up of Social Benefits: Experimental Evidence from France." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 17 (4): 1–29. DOI: 10.1257/pol.20220786Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D83 Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
- I38 Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
- J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply
- J65 Unemployment Insurance; Severance Pay; Plant Closings
- R38 Production Analysis and Firm Location: Government Policy