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The welfare effects of asset mean‐testing income support

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  • Felix Wellschmied
Abstract
This paper studies the savings and employment effects of the asset means‐test in US income support programs using a structural life‐cycle model with productivity, disability, and unemployment risk. An asset means‐test incentivizes low‐income households to hold few financial assets making them vulnerable to predictable and unpredictable income changes. Moreover, it incentivizes relatively productive households that happen to have few financial assets to leave the labor force. However, it allows for relative generous transfers to households in most need. Moreover, it counteracts relatively productive households leaving the labor force after the age of 50. In terms of the welfare of an unborn household, the asset means‐test that optimally trades off these effects is $150,000, and abolishing it is close to optimal.

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  • Felix Wellschmied, 2021. "The welfare effects of asset mean‐testing income support," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 12(1), pages 217-249, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:quante:v:12:y:2021:i:1:p:217-249
    DOI: 10.3982/QE1241
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    2. Maximilian Joseph Blömer & Sebastian Link & Andreas Peichl & Marc Stöckli, 2021. "The Effects of the Means-tested Basic Income Support on the Behavior of Households - an Overview," ifo Forschungsberichte, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 120.
    3. Conesa, Juan Carlos & Li, Bo & Li, Qian, 2023. "A quantitative evaluation of universal basic income," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    4. Andre Luduvice, 2021. "The Macroeconomic Effects of Universal Basic Income Programs," Working Papers 21-21, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
    5. Pham-Dao, Lien, 2016. "Public Insurance and Wealth Inequality - A Euro Area Analysis," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145942, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies

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