Wang, DewenUmapathi, NithinO'Keefe, Philip2014-02-112014-02-112013-11https://hdl.handle.net/10986/17006Using a simple framework, this paper discusses the underlying reason of the variation of threshold level in developed countries, from the least generous 20 percent to around 60 percent of median wage, with an average of 35 percent. The generosity of minimum guarantee social assistance programs is deeply rooted in social values and principles that further underpin the policy objectives. Many Organizations for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries set their policy targets for minimum living standard programs beyond basic needs and aim to guarantee a minimum socially acceptable level for a decent living. Thresholds are also refined to reflect the differences in family size and demographic structure, difference in regional cost of living and changes in prices and local wages. In some countries the thresholds show some regional variation due to local discretionary powers of sub-national authorities to set the threshold depending on the co-financing mechanisms. These lessons are valuable for China as the Chinese government has made efforts to standardize the implementation and management of its own minimum income guarantee (Di Bao) programs. The policy recommendations for China include accelerating the convergence of localized approaches, raising the administrative level for setting thresholds to higher level, defining the roles of central and local governments in financing and management, and establishing a transparent budgetary management system to transfer and allocate social assistance funds.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOABSOLUTE POVERTYACCESS TO INFORMATIONACCESS TO JOBSAGGREGATE POVERTYANTI-POVERTYANTI-POVERTY PROGRAMASSISTANCE PROGRAMSAVERAGE INCOMEAVERAGE WAGESBENEFICIARIESBENEFICIARYBENEFIT LEVELBENEFIT LEVELSBENEFIT SYSTEMSCASH BENEFITCASH BENEFITSCASH TRANSFERCASH TRANSFER PROGRAMSCASH TRANSFERSCHILD BENEFITCOMPULSORY EDUCATIONCONDITIONAL CASHCONSUMER PRICE INDEXCONSUMPTION EXPENDITURECOST OF FOODCPIDISPOSABLE INCOMEELIGIBILITY CRITERIAELIGIBILITY CRITERIONELIGIBLE BENEFICIARIESEMERGENCY ASSISTANCEEMPLOYMENT GENERATIONEMPLOYMENT PROJECTEXTREME POVERTYFAMILIES WITH CHILDRENFAMILY ASSISTANCEFAMILY BENEFITSFAMILY INCOMEFEDERAL ASSISTANCEFINANCIAL PROTECTIONFISCAL CAPACITYFOOD ASSISTANCEFOOD CONSUMPTIONFOOD EXPENDITUREFOOD EXPENDITURESFOOD NEEDSFOOD POVERTYFOOD POVERTY LINEFOOD PRICEFOOD SHAREFOOD STAMPGUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOMEHEALTH SERVICESHOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTIONHOUSEHOLD INCOMEHOUSEHOLD SIZEHOUSEHOLD SURVEYHOUSEHOLD SURVEY DATAHOUSINGHOUSING SUBSIDIESHUMAN DEVELOPMENTIMPACTS ON POVERTYINCOME DISTRIBUTIONINCOME GROWTHINCOME POVERTYINCOME SECURITYINCOME SUPPORTINCOME TRANSFERINCOME TRANSFERSINEQUALITYINFORMAL EMPLOYMENTINSURANCEINSURANCE SYSTEMSLABOR MARKETSLIVING CONDITIONLIVING CONDITIONSLIVING STANDARDSMEANS TESTMEANS TESTINGMEANS TESTSMEDICAL EXPENSESMIGMINIMUM INCOMEMINIMUM INCOMESMINIMUM WAGEMINIMUM WAGESNATIONAL POVERTYNATIONAL POVERTY LINENATURAL DISASTERSNEAR POORNEEDY FAMILIESNET INCOMENUMBER OF CHILDRENNUTRITIONPENSIONPENSIONSPER CAPITA INCOMEPOLICY GOALSPOLITICAL CONSTRAINTSPOORPOOR AREASPOOR COUNTRIESPOOR FAMILIESPOOR HOUSEHOLDSPOOR PEOPLEPOORER AREASPOORER HOUSEHOLDSPOVERTY LINEPOVERTY REDUCTIONPRIVATE PENSIONPROTECTION SYSTEMSREGIONAL COSTREGIONAL COST OF LIVINGREGIONAL DIFFERENCESREGIONAL INFLATIONREGIONAL PRICEREGIONAL VARIATIONREGRESSION ANALYSISRURALRURAL AREASRURAL BENEFICIARIESRURAL ECONOMYRURAL GAPRURAL INCOMERURAL POORRURAL POOR HOUSEHOLDSRURAL POPULATIONRURAL POVERTYRURAL POVERTY LINERURAL POVERTY MONITORINGSAFETY NETSAFETY NET PROGRAMSSAFETY NETSSAVINGSSAVINGS ACCOUNTSSCHOOL FEEDINGSEVERANCE PAYSIMULATIONSSINGLE PARENTSINGLE PARENTSSKILLED LABORSOCIAL ASSISTANCESOCIAL ASSISTANCE LAWSOCIAL BENEFITSSOCIAL CONTRACTSOCIAL FUNDSSOCIAL INSURANCESOCIAL POLICIESSOCIAL POLICYSOCIAL PROTECTIONSOCIAL SAFETY NETSSOCIAL SECURITYSOCIAL SECURITY PROGRAMSSOCIAL SERVICESOCIAL SERVICESSOCIAL WELFARESTATISTICAL ANALYSISSUBSISTENCETARGETINGTAX CREDITSTEMPORARY ASSISTANCETEMPORARY EMPLOYMENTTRAINING PROGRAMSUNEMPLOYMENTUNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITWAGE GROWTHWARWELFARE INDICATORSWELFARE LEVELWELFARE PROGRAMSWELFARE STATESWELFARE SYSTEMWELLBEING10.1596/17006