Study Details | Pathways to Work

101080-Study of Project 100

Study quality: Low

Low

Reason for the rating: This study received a low study quality rating because it is a high-attrition randomized controlled trial that does not adjust estimated impacts for potentially important differences between the program and comparison groups.

Program: Project 100+ Unconditional Cash Transfer

Characteristics of study participants:

At least a high school diploma or equivalent, Parents, Public benefits recipients

Services provided:

Unconditional cash transfers

Setting: Tested in multiple settings

Methods and Standards Protocol version used for review: Version 2.0

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Study design

Design:

Randomized controlled trial

Study group formation:

The study recruited participants from Fresh EBT users, a mobile app that allows families receiving public assistance to manage benefits (primarily SNAP), in 12 states. The app randomly assigned users to one of 1,000 user groups, and the researchers randomly selected treatment and control user groups. Users who responded to a banner ad for a survey completed an eligibility screener. Individuals in the program group who completed screener questions were provided with an opportunity to receive a $1,000 cash transfer from GiveDirectly. Comparison group members were thanked for completing the survey. A total of 13,692 participants were enrolled, with 7,915 participants assigned to the program group and 5,777 participants assigned to the comparison group.

Time period of study:

The study ran from March 2020 to August 2020. Study enrollment occurred in May 2020. Study data were collected from May 2020 to August 2020, with outcomes measured based on one-month and three-month follow-up surveys.

Pathways to Work only reports results from studies with a study quality rating of high or moderate.

Sample characteristics

Age

Mean age

33 years

Sex

Female	94%
Male	6%

Race and ethnicity

Black or African American	64%
White, not Hispanic	23%
Hispanic or Latino of any race	6%
Another race	3%
Unknown, not reported, or other	4%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

Family status

Parents

99%

Employment and public benefit status

Were employed	30%
Were unemployed	70%
Public benefits recipients	100%
Cash assistance recipients	19%

Education

Had a high school diploma or GED	88%
Did not have a high school diploma or GED	12%

Program implementation

Implementing organization:

GiveDirectly

Program services:

The program offered low-income families with children a one-time unconditional cash transfer of $1,000. The transfer was provided by the charitable organization GiveDirectly and was delivered via a Hyper wallet account in May 2020. The goal was to help families mitigate financial distress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mandatory services:

None

Comparison services:

The comparison group did not receive the offer of an unconditional cash transfer.

Study publications

Pilkauskas, Natasha V., Brian A. Jacob, Elizabeth Rhodes, Katherine Richard, and H. Luke Shaefer (2023). The COVID Cash Transfer Study: The impacts of a one-time unconditional cash transfer on the well-being of families receiving SNAP in twelve states, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 42(3): 771-795. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.22464

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Study of Project 100+ Unconditional Cash Transfer