Trapped in poverty? A study of the dibao programme in Shanghai

Abstract

As the secondary means of income redistribution in Chinese society (the primary means being taxation), the Minimum Living Standard Guarantee (MLSG) programme or <i>dibao</i> has been the object of both praise and criticism. The programme helps the government to channel its limited financial resources to the persons who need it most. While it covers the necessities of life, however, it does not enable its recipients to escape from poverty. It has also been criticized for its exorbitant administrative costs and heavy workload. This study uses a qualitative longitudinal design to identify changes across interview intervals and uncover the internal dynamics of the <i>dibao</i> programme. The research findings enrich the current literature on social assistance in China. Forty households receiving <i>dibao</i> in Shanghai were interviewed. Our findings show that most dibao recipients are laid-off workers – casualties of the massive economic reforms of the 1990s – and the younger members of their families. The assistance they receive helps with their daily expenses, but is insufficient to raise them out of poverty.

作為收入再分配的重要手段之一，中國最低生活保障線（低保）制度遭受了正、負面的雙重評價。本著通過低保政策將資源重新分配到最需要的一部分人群手中的原則方針，低保的標準是為了「滿足人們最基本需求」的目標而制定。因此,低保制度並不以幫助人們脫貧為目的，且因為其龐大的行政執行成本而久受詬病。 本研究采用縱向跟蹤的質性研究設計調查低保戶的變化以及低保政策自身的內生動力，以期豐富當下對中國低保政策的認知。通過對四十個低保護家庭的跟蹤調查發現：大多數的低保對象是在九十年代國有經濟體制改革過程中失業的。這些家庭中的年輕成員也有較高幾率成為低保對象，而低保金僅能維持受助對象的基本生活。