management, and capabilities approaches into poverty alleviation. They focus on income transfers and service provisions while aiming to alleviate both long- and short-term poverty through, among other things, education, health, security, and housing. Unlike previous programs that targeted the working class, new programs have successfully focused on locating and targeting the very poorest. The impacts of social assistance programs vary between countries, and many programs have yet to be fully evaluated. According to Barrientos and Santibanez, the programs have been more successful in increasing investment in human capital than in bringing households above the poverty line. Challenges still exist, including the extreme inequality levels and the mass scale of poverty; locating a financial basis for programs; and deciding on exit strategies or on the long-term establishment of programs. 1980s impacts The economic crisis of the 1980s led to a shift in social policies, as understandings of poverty and social programs evolved (24). New, mostly short-term programs emerged. These include: Argentina: Jefes y Jefas de Hogar, Asignación Universal por Hijo Bolivia: Bonosol Brazil: Bolsa Escola and Bolsa Familia Chile: Chile Solidario Colombia: Solidaridad por Colombia Ecuador: Bono de Desarrollo Humano Honduras: Red Solidaria Mexico: Prospera (earlier known as Oportunidades) Panama: Red de Oportunidades Peru: Juntos Major aspects of current social assistance programs Conditional cash transfer (CCT) combined with service provisions. Transfer cash directly to households, most often through the women of the household, if certain conditions are met (e.g. children's school attendance or doctor visits) (10). Providing free schooling or healthcare is often not sufficient, because there is an opportunity cost for the parents in, for example, sending children to school (lost labor power), or in paying for the transportation costs of getting to a health clinic. Household. The household has been the focal point of social assistance programs. Target the poorest. Recent programs have been more successful than past ones in targeting the poorest. Previous programs often targeted the working class. Multidimensional. Programs have attempted to address many dimensions of poverty at once. Chile Solidario is the best example. New Zealand New Zealand is often regarded as having one of the first comprehensive welfare systems in the world. During the 1890s a Liberal government adopted many social programmes to help the poor who had suffered from a long economic depression in the 1880s. One of the most far reaching was the passing of tax legislation that made it difficult for