%0 Report
        %A Dorsett, Richard
%A Oswald, Andrew J.
        %T Human Well-being and In-Work Benefits: A Randomized Controlled Trial
        %D 2014
        %8 2014 Feb
        %I Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        %C Bonn
        %7 IZA Discussion Paper
        %N 7943
        %U https://www.iza.org/index.php/publications/dp7943
        %X Many politicians believe they can intervene in the economy to improve people's lives. But can they? In a social experiment carried out in the United Kingdom, extensive in-work support was randomly assigned among 16,000 disadvantaged people. We follow a sub-sample of 3,500 single parents for 5 ensuing years. The results reveal a remarkable, and troubling, finding. Long after eligibility had ceased, the treated individuals had substantially lower psychological well-being, worried more about money, and were increasingly prone to debt. Thus helping people apparently hurt them. We discuss a behavioral framework consistent with our findings and reflect on implications for policy.
        %K randomized controlled trials
%K government policy
%K in-work benefits
%K wage subsidies
%K well-being
%K happiness