Detailed information on the dynamics of SA benefit receipt is crucial for the design of effective social safety nets. Recipient numbers provide insights on the coverage of last-resort benefits and their role in reducing poverty or as automatic stabilizers in times of economic crisis. Benefit transition rates indicate whether variations in receipt rates over time are driven primarily by changes in inflows or outflows, and thus possibly whether policies to reduce benefit receipt work better when they focus on reducing entries or promoting exits. Other central policy parameters, such as benefit levels and the design of activation measures, should depend on who receives benefits and for how long. This section - as the remainder of the document - focuses on the dynamics of SA benefit receipt taking a longitudinal perspective.