The Mythology of the Social Impact Bond. a Critical Assessment From a Concerned Observer

  • 1 January 2020
  • Case Study
  • Publisher : Special Issue: Social Finance, Impact Investing, and the Financialisation of the Public Interest
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This paper critically assesses the social impact bond (SIB), highlighting its evolution from a risk-transfer mechanism for social program delivery to a scheme where the state increasingly de-risks private investors, particularly in the United Kingdom. It questions the underlying myths of public sector savings, financial innovation, and evidence-based policy often associated with SIBs, providing a concerned observer’s perspective on their actual impact and the transformation of social services under payment-by-results models.

Author(s) :

Leslie Huckfield

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Innovative Finance/ Blended Finance

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