Abstract
Extensive evidence shows that social protection reduces
poverty and increases income security in households, with
positive repercussions for child health, nutrition,
education, and food security and protection (ILO and
UNICEF, 2019, 2023). Social protection also provides
households with the economic security to boost their
productivity and earning potential, while lowering the risk
of the persistence of poverty across generations, and
helping to prevent child labour (ILO and UNICEF, 2022).
Nonetheless, across countries there are gaps and
inequalities in social protection coverage that often result
in children being excluded for reasons of age, gender,
disability status, geography and more.
Universal child benefits (UCBs) can also act as the
foundation for a comprehensive and adequate system of
child social protection. Paid as regular cash or tax
transfers to families for their dependent children (see
below for full definition), they constitute a core type of
social protection policy that can effectively reduce
disparities in child social protection coverage, reduce child
poverty and generate positive returns on public
investment, both within and across countries.
Approximately 50 countries currently operate some form
of UCB policy, but there exists wide variation in benefit
amounts, delivery, coverage and other aspects. Policy
design has a decisive effect on results. This brief explains
what UCBs are, catalogues where and on what terms they
currently exist around the world, reviews the existing
evidence on how UCBs contribute to child poverty
reduction and other goals, identifies specific design
considerations to create an optimally designed UCB policy
and outlines the goals that UCBs can help to meet when
designed well. Taken all together, the brief provides a
resource for countries intending to enhance their existing
child benefit policy or establish a UCB scheme.