This book is part of a larger Safety Net Primer work programme supported by the social protection unit of the human development network. Safety Nets redistribute income, enable households to invest in the human capital of their children and in the livelihood of their earners, and they allow governments to implement macro-economic or sectoral reforms that support efficiency and growth. Hence, this book provides pragmatic and informed guidance on how to decide and implement safety nets, along with other criteria relating to this subject.