Working Paper: NBER ID: w31746
Authors: Amelia A. Hawkins; Christopher A. Hollrah; Sarah Miller; Laura R. Wherry; Gloria Aldana; Mitchell D. Wong
Abstract: The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program uses a birthweight cutoff at 1200 grams to determine eligibility. Using birth certificates linked to administrative records, we find low-income families of infants born just below the cutoff receive higher monthly cash benefits (equal to 27% of family income) at ages 0-2, and smaller but statistically significant positive effects on transfers through age 10. Yet, we detect no improvements in health care use and mortality in infancy, nor health and human capital outcomes as observed through young adulthood for these infants. We also find no improvements for their older siblings.
Keywords: cash transfers; low birthweight; SSI; health outcomes; educational outcomes
JEL Codes: H0; H53
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| cash benefits (H55) | health care use (I11) |
| cash benefits (H55) | educational performance (I21) |
| cash benefits (H55) | postsecondary attendance (I23) |
| cash benefits (H55) | earnings (J31) |
| cash benefits (H55) | outcomes for older siblings (J13) |
| SSI eligibility (I38) | cash benefits (H55) |