FIELD Brief 19: Making the Case for Mobile Money: A Look at Social Cash Transfers for Development

Social cash transfers are direct and regular (often monthly) resource transfers to individuals or households with a goal of reducing vulnerability and/or increasing consumption. Depending on how they are structured, as a tool for social protection, cash transfers can be expected to produce effects linked to a range of outcomes such as greater food security, financial stability, increased school attendance, or even reduction in HIV incidence. Cash transfers are often aimed at a combination of positive outcomes; for example, reduction of HIV incidence through increased school attendance for at-risk youth. 

This brief outlines different operational channels for cash transfer disbursal and discusses the pros and cons of each. In general, organizations are moving away from manual cash transfers due to the high operational costs, security costs to counter theft by those delegated to disburse the funds, and for fraud with manual disbursements, both within the organization’s offices and field operations. Going “electronic” offers many benefits and this brief makes the case for using Mobile Money.