Blavatnik Book Talk: Timely Cash

Join Professor Stefan Dercon and Dr Flavia Galvani for a talk with Ugo Gentilini about his new book, Timely Cash: Lessons from 2,500 Years of Giving People Money.

Cash transfers, or the provision of money to people by the state, reach hundreds of million people worldwide. But when did they start, and how did they spread over countries and centuries? What did past practices look like and how did they evolve? Why, despite compelling evidence, are policymakers sometimes sceptical about cash transfers? Ugo Gentilini ​explores those questions by tracing cash transfers over history, codifying diversity in experiences, and identifying recurrent patterns. In doing so, the volume helps illuminate the roots of modern cash transfer dilemmas and reveals how the past can offer surprising lessons for contemporary debates.