项目资格传达：一项补充保障收入(SSI)实地实验
Communicating Program Eligibility: A Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Field Experiment
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy · 2025 · [{"name": "Jeffrey Hemmeter", "affiliation": ["United States Social Security Administration"]}, {"name": "John B. Phillips", "affiliation": ["National Institutes of Health"]}, {"name": "Elana Safran", "affiliation": ["General Services Administration"]}, {"name": "Nicholas Wilson", "affiliation": ["General Services Administration", "Reed College"]}]
中文摘要
我们针对4,016,461名个体开展了一项直邮实地实验，以检验关于65岁及以上人群补充保障收入申领率为何如此之低的若干关键假设。在一封基本信件中传达可能符合资格的信息，在相对意义上大幅提高了申领率。加入基于行为科学的表述进一步提升了这些沟通的效果。然而，在完整的24个月随访期内，我们研究样本中的申请率仍不超过7%。我们的结果揭示，提高申请数量与获得批准的条件概率及批准金额之间存在适度的权衡。（JEL C93, D12, D83, H55, I38, J14）
Abstract
We conducted a direct mail field experiment with 4,016,461 individuals to test several key hypotheses about why take-up of Supplemental Security Income among individuals age 65 and above is so low. Communicating likely eligibility in a basic letter generated substantial increases in take-up in relative terms. Adding behaviorally informed statements increased the effectiveness of these communications. Yet, the application rate in our study sample during the full 24-month follow-up period remained no greater than 7 percent. Our results reveal a modest trade-off between increasing applications and the conditional likelihood of award, as well as the award amount. (JEL C93, D12, D83, H55, I38, J14)