Improving disability benefit take-up: Experimental evidence from a public information campaign in Vietnam
中文摘要
尽管与残疾相关的成本高昂,许多国家公共残疾福利项目的参与率仍然不完全。这种情况在低收入和中等收入国家尤为突出,这些国家的残疾项目相对较新,对申领资格规则的了解可能有限。本文评估减少信息摩擦能否提高越南国家残疾福利项目的参保率。在一项覆盖70个农村乡的随机对照试验中,有关残疾福利的标准化信息在五周内嵌入政府日常大喇叭广播中播出。利用干预约两年后观察到的乡级行政数据,结果显示,处理乡的项目参保率高出9%。在被评为重度残疾的个体中,效应更大,其参保率提高了12%。在残疾程度最重的人群中,效应较小,这部分人很可能已被该项目较好地覆盖。在每月有资格领取更高残疾养老金金额的儿童中,也观察到更大的效应。这些发现表明,通过现有政府通信基础设施开展的低成本、可扩展的信息宣传能够大幅提高残疾福利项目的参与率。
Abstract
Despite substantial disability-related costs, participation in public disability benefit programs remains incomplete in many countries. This is particularly the case in low- and middle-income countries where disability programs are relatively new and awareness of eligibility rules may be limited. This paper evaluates whether reducing information frictions can increase enrolment in Vietnam's national disability benefits program. In a randomised controlled trial across 70 rural communes, standardised information about disability benefits was embedded within routine government loudspeaker broadcasts over a five-week period. Using commune-level administrative data observed approximately two years after the intervention, the results show that program enrolment was 9 percent higher in treated communes. The effects are larger among individuals classified with severe disabilities, for whom enrolment increased by 12 percent. Smaller effects are observed among persons with the most severe disabilities, who were likely already well covered by the program. Larger effects are also observed among children who are eligible for higher monthly disability pension amounts. These findings demonstrate that a low-cost and scalable information campaign delivered through existing government communication infrastructure can substantially increase participation in disability benefit programs.