The money given to them is injected back into the economy from the bottom where it can flow up.  They aren't saving the money they are spending it on food, clothes, entertainment etc.  Some may be getting sent out of the country but in general terms money injected into the bottom does go much further in boosting a flagging economy.  During the GFC, Australia gave money to households directly and it meant that they got through it better than other Nations, especially the ones that enacted austerity measures and took money away from the bottom.  However, it is a terrible long term outcome and a pending environmental disaster.  people in the US consume around 12 times of the planet's resources compared to the developing Nations.  We have to fix the problems in the place as we cannot sustain a massive increase in the numbers of high consuming Nations.