In recent years in the public discourse of many European countries there has been a shift in emphasis from "povertyʺ to "social exclusionʺ. Broadly interpreted, "social exclusionʺ implies the "inability of an individual to participate in the basic political, economic and social functionings...

Social transfers vary enormously across the EU, as has been demonstrated in earlier research. This paper analyses the comparative effects of cash transfers on inequality and poverty, using consistent household data. The analysis shows that the distributional impact of these transfers is greater...