November 14, 2025

Ep.56 | Social Protection Myths and Misperceptions Part 2

49 minutes

Do cash transfers drive inflation? Is social protection a cost to the economy, or an investment in its future? And who should these systems ultimately serve? In this second and final episode on social protection myths and misperceptions, we turn to the economic and systemic dimensions — how social protection interacts with markets, fiscal policy, and national development.

Drawing on global evidence and practice, we examine whether cash transfers distort prices, how they influence local economies, and what the data tell us about affordability and return on investment. We also explore the broader role of social protection beyond poverty reduction: as a foundation for inclusive and resilient societies.

While not all answers are clear-cut, the discussion highlights how context, programme design, and policy choices shape outcomes, and why understanding these nuances is critical for effective, sustainable systems.

Meet our guests:

Davide Rasella, ICREA Research Professor and Head of the Global Health Impact Assessment and Evaluation Group, ISGlobal and ISC.

Dennis Egger, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Oxford.

Laura Carvalho, Associate Professor of Economics, University of São Paulo.

For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Konstantinos Papadakis, Principal Social Affairs Officer at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, who shared insights on the outcomes of Second World Summit for Social Development.

Resources:

Podcast | Ep.54 | Social Protection Myths and Misperceptions Part 1

Publication | Do cash transfers cause inflation?

Publication | The multiplier effects of government expenditures on social protection

Publication | Social protection systems, redistribution and growth in Latin America

Publication | Impact of social protection on child malnutrition and mortality across 46 LMICs: a longitudinal study over two decades with insights from the COVID-19 pandemic

Publication | Effects of conditional cash transfers on tuberculosis incidence and mortality according to race, ethnicity and socioeconomic factors in the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort

Publication | Effect of a conditional cash transfer programme on AIDS incidence, hospitalisations, and mortality in Brazil: a longitudinal ecological study

Publication | Evaluation and Forecasting Analysis of the Association of Conditional Cash Transfer With Child Mortality in Latin America, 2000-2030

...more

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By socialprotection.org

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