Effects of Welfare Receipt on Well-being: Evidence from older people in Japan

The purpose of this study is to verify whether receiving public assistance affects the well-being of the older people. When socially nondependency norms have formed, receiving public assistance may reduce well-being. The study focuses on older people in Japan, where public assistance is minimal. The results show that receiving public assistance has little effect on well-being for the older people but negatively affects the working-age population. The older people are likelier to not work, which may weaken the nondependency. Additionally, the heterogeneity in the relationship between the receipt of public assistance and well-being is confirmed by region.