Policy Responses to the Pandemic for COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean: The Use of Cash Transfer Programs and Social Protection Information Systems

The COVID-19 pandemic has made evident the unfulfilled promise of social protection in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Governments in LAC have used cash transfer programs (CTPs) to cushion the social and economic effects of the pandemic. In this document we describe how these programs have served as a vehicle to reach vulnerable populations. We show that LAC countries have used their existing social protection information systems to reach new populations, as well as to deliver cash benefits. Governments’ responses were conditioned by the programs’ current coverage and the registries’ interoperability with other sources of information. Specifically, we analyze the responses to the pandemic distinguishing the ways in which countries innovated with their programs, along with the benefits’ coverage and size. Additionally, we study social information systems: reviewing the characteristics of both social registries and single beneficiary registries (existence, coverage, and interoperability).

Sustainable Development Goals:

Good Health and Well-Being

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions