SOURCEBOOK SUMMARY - CHAPTER 5: ELIGIBILITY AND ENROLLMENT

Jul 19, 2026

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Chapter 5 outlines the enrollment stage in the delivery chain for social protection, focusing on how eligibility is determined and how eligible registrants are enrolled and onboarded efficiently. It explains the phases of eligibility decisions, determining each beneficiary’s benefit and service package, notifying registrants, and onboarding beneficiaries. The chapter details eligibility criteria using socioeconomic thresholds and filters, including absolute and relative thresholds with associated challenges, as well as “yes-no” exclusion filters.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

Eligibility and Enrollment Decisions

Determining Eligibility

Eligibility Based on Socioeconomic Criteria: Absolute/Relative Thresholds and Filters

Eligibility Based on Unemployment Status, Employment History, and Insurance Contributions

Eligibility Based on Disability Status

Enrollment Decisions

Public Disclosure Authorized Disc losure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized SOURCEBOOK SUMMARY | CHAPTER 5: ELIGIBILITY AND ENROLLMENT JUNE 2022 CHAPTER 5 Eligibility and Enrollment The enrollment stage involves determining which registrants qualify for programs and what benefits and services they will receive. Its objective is that eligibility is effectively determined according to specific criteria, that the benefit and service packages are accurately determined, and that eligible registrants are enrolled and onboarded efficiently. This stage of the delivery chain involves several phases: • Determining eligibility and making enrollment decisions • Establishing each beneficiary’s package of benefits and services • Notifying all registrants of their eligibility and enrollment status • Onboarding beneficiaries by introducing them to program(s) Pub lic Disc losure Authorized The Enroll Stage of the Delivery Chain | | | | --- | --- | Eligibility and Enrollment Decisions 5 4 Notification and Onboarding RECURRING CYCLE 6 Determination of Benefits and Service Package DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY Once people’s needs and conditions have been assessed, their profiles are compared to eligibility criteria for specific program(s) . Three key elements help determine eligibility for social protection programs: eligibility criteria, profiles of registrants based on the assessment of their needs and conditions, and the definition of the assistance unit (individual, family, or household) . Most programs use a combination of criteria to determine eligibility. Eligibility Based on Socioeconomic Criteria: Absolute Thresholds, Relative Thresholds, and Filters Many benefits and services rely on socioeconomic criteria with eligibility thresholds pertaining to income, assets, and other measures of welfare. Three types of socioeconomic eligibility criteria are common: absolute thresholds, relative thresholds, and filters. With absolute thresholds, a household is eligible if its welfare measure falls below a certain level. In contrast, with relative thresholds, each household’s eligibility is determined in relation to the eligibility of others. The registered population is assessed and ranked from poorest to richest according to a specific welfare measure. Eligibility thresholds are then applied to that relative ranking as a percentage, for example the poorest 10% of the population. Two challenges can arise with the use of relative rankings and thresholds. The first relates to dynamism overtime. The use of relative rankings and thresholds is inherently static because it requires registering, assessing, and ranking families as a group at a specific point in time. Thus, if some households not initially within the eligible threshold (e.g., 10%) and are now eligible, due to worsening situation, or was not initially registered, they would not be enrolled because the program eligibility quota of 10 is already filled. Second, with relative thresholds, the treatment of families with comparable circumstances may not be equal across the country. A common practice with relative thresholds is to make the same percentage of households eligible in each region because this is often viewed as more politically viable. However, if poverty in one region is significantly higher than in another, low-income families in the poorer region may be excluded, while better-off families in the wealthier region maybe included. In addition, some countries also use “yes-no” exclusionary filters. Such filters are often used to exclude households based on their apparent wealth. Examples include the possession of certain assets: a vehicle, a second home, luxury durable goods, electronics, rental income, and savings or financial assets over a certain amount. If the household possessed any of these assets, the yes-no filter would exclude them from eligibility regardless of other criteria. 2 | SOURCEBOOK SUMMARY | CHAPTER 5: ELIGIBILIT

FAQs

What is the purpose of the enrollment stage in the delivery chain?

It determines which registrants qualify for programs and what benefits and services they will receive, ensuring accurate eligibility decisions and efficient enrollment and onboarding.

How do absolute and relative socioeconomic thresholds work?

Absolute thresholds use a fixed welfare cutoff for eligibility, while relative thresholds rank registered households by a welfare measure and apply eligibility to a defined percentage of the poorest households.

What challenges arise when using relative thresholds?

Relative thresholds can be static over time, preventing newly eligible households from enrolling when quotas are already filled, and may create unequal treatment across regions with differing poverty levels.

Jul 19, 2026

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