Chronic and temporary poverty in Australia: targeting public transfers

Authors

Joan R. Rodgers, University of WollongongFollow

RIS ID

32219

Publication Details

Rodgers, J. R. (2010). Chronic and temporary poverty in Australia: targeting public transfers. The Economic Record, 86 (s1), 87-100.

Abstract

This study investigates the efficacy of Australian public transfersin alleviating poverty, particularly chronic poverty. Thelarger the proportion of transfers received by people who wouldbe poor in their absence, the better targeted the transfers. From2001 to 2007, 64 per cent of all public transfers were received bypeople who would have been in chronic poverty according to theirpre-transfer incomes. Another 22 per cent went to people inpre-transfer temporary poverty, whereas 14 per cent werereceived by people who were not poor based on their pre-transferincomes. Family payments were less well-targeted than otherpublic transfers.