All countries fund safety net programmes for the protection of their people. Though an increasing number of safety net programmes are extremely well thought out, adroitly implemented, and demonstrably effective, many others are not. This book aims to assist those concerned with social policy to understand why countries need social assistance, what kind of safety programmes will serve those best and how to develop such programmes for maximum effectiveness. Safety nets are part of a broader poverty reduction strategy interacting with and working alongside social insurance; health, education, and financial services; the provision of utilities and roads and other policies aimed at reducing poverty and managing risk. Though useful, safety nets are not a panacea, and there are real concerns over whether they are affordable and administratively feasible or desirable in light of the various negative incentives they might create. In most settings where there is political will to do so, such concerns can be managed through a number of prudent design and implementation features. Much information and innovation exist on these topics; this book summarizes, references, and builds on this knowledge base to promote well-crafted safety nets and safety net policy.