Safety Nets and Benefit Dependence

During the recent economic downturn social protection systems have played a significant role in responding to the economic difficulties of adversely affected households. Patterns of transitions into and out of benefit receipt are important measures of the effectiveness of social protection systems. This volume contains new research on the dynamics of social insurance. The articles provide evidence on benefit dependence from various countries, including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany and the UK, and answers to questions such as: How responsive are social protection systems to labor market shocks? Does participation in temporary assistance programs affect participation in other social insurance programs? Do mandatory activation programs affect the probability of entering and exiting welfare?