the results of the household survey analysis used for the simulations in section show that this weak role of transfers in reducing poverty is also due to the fact that the rate of nontakeup of family or housing benefits is often high among poor families a more effective targeting of benefits then can contribute reducing child poverty if and only if it involves a better coverage of poor children and an increased amount paid to the poorest families as suggested in the section substantial progress in reducing child poverty may be achievable at constant expenditure levels and through better benefit coverage of poor children