Data and code for: Perils of the Paperwork

Governments worldwide administer social programs for vulnerable groups, yet many eligible citizens fail to benefit. This paper studies barriers to take-up of an unconditional cash transfer program for poor women in Delhi, India, where only one-third of eligible individuals were enrolled. In a randomized experiment with eligible women, providing program information alone increased applications only among the literate. Adding basic or intensive application assistance, however, raised average application rates by 41% and 70%, respectively, and expanded access among more vulnerable women. These results suggest that application ordeals can limit take-up by those with high need.