📌 What this study examines
A nationwide unconditional cash transfer (UCT) rolled out in Colombia in March 2020 is evaluated to understand how emergency cash affected households during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program delivered US$19 per payment (PPP US$55.6) to 1 million households in poverty, with payments occurring every five to eight weeks.
📊 How the program and evaluation were measured
- Randomized control trial design linking administrative records and household survey data.
- Program details documented: 1 million beneficiary households, payment size US$19 (PPP US$55.6), payment frequency every 5–8 weeks, and unconditional eligibility for households in poverty.
🔑 Key findings
- Positive, though modest, improvements in household well-being, including measures of financial health and food access.
- Increased public support for emergency assistance targeted at both households and firms during the crisis.
- Evidence that the UCT promoted social cooperation within communities.
⚠️ What was learned about digital payments during a crisis
- The evaluation explores bottlenecks encountered when attempting to expand mobile money delivery during a pandemic.
📎 Why this matters
- Even relatively small, frequent cash transfers can reduce hardship and influence public attitudes toward crisis relief.
- Findings highlight both the potential of emergency UCTs to support well-being and social cohesion and the practical challenges of scaling digital payment systems in an acute emergency.
