Drawing on case studies in Kenya, Malawi and Zambia, this paper explores the affordability and sustainability of providing cash transfers to alleviate poverty.

The paper reviews cash transfer programme coverage and costs, the fiscal implications of programme extension to cover all eligible beneficiaries, the extent of national government resource allocation to cash transfers, the role of donor funding and perceptions of affordability and prospects for the sustainability of cash transfer programming.

The case studies were part of a three-year study on cash transfers by ODI, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation .