Giving financial support to widows can actually make their health worse in the short term.
SSRN · March 18, 2026 · 6332339
The Takeaway
Most people assume that providing income to vulnerable populations immediately improves their health. However, this study found that when widows become eligible for Social Security benefits, they see an increase in diabetes diagnoses because the sudden influx of cash leads to an immediate spike in food consumption.
From the abstract
How does income support after widowhood affect health over the life cycle? To answer this question, we study Social Security Survivors Benefits, which become available to widowed individuals at age 60 in the United States. Using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design with Health and Retirement Study data, we find that eligibility reduces selfreported good health and increases diabetes diagnoses in the short run, with effects concentrated among financially dependent widows. These effects are not