15 Pension
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Athina Vlachantoni
Abstract
Pension reform has been on the agenda of most welfare states in the developed world for almost a century. Theories of welfare regime and pension regime typologies, developed in the 1990s and 2000s, continue to contribute a great deal to our understanding of “winners” and “losers” within changing systems of welfare protection in different countries. This chapter provides a succinct summary of pension reforms in the developed world in the last half-century or so, drawing primarily on European examples, and critically discussing the differential impact of pension reforms on different parts of the population. It first summarises the key demographic changes taking place which have been concomitant with pension reform, including population ageing and the extension of longevity. It then critically discusses socio-economic changes which have also been taking place during this time, including increasing insecurity in labour market and the rise of “working poor” individuals and households. Common patterns of pension reform in the developed world are summarised next, before identifying mechanisms within pension systems which perpetuate inequalities within the population. The chapter concludes with a critical discussion of the parameters which are necessary for achieving income adequacy and financial sustainability for pension systems in the future
Abstract
Pension reform has been on the agenda of most welfare states in the developed world for almost a century. Theories of welfare regime and pension regime typologies, developed in the 1990s and 2000s, continue to contribute a great deal to our understanding of “winners” and “losers” within changing systems of welfare protection in different countries. This chapter provides a succinct summary of pension reforms in the developed world in the last half-century or so, drawing primarily on European examples, and critically discussing the differential impact of pension reforms on different parts of the population. It first summarises the key demographic changes taking place which have been concomitant with pension reform, including population ageing and the extension of longevity. It then critically discusses socio-economic changes which have also been taking place during this time, including increasing insecurity in labour market and the rise of “working poor” individuals and households. Common patterns of pension reform in the developed world are summarised next, before identifying mechanisms within pension systems which perpetuate inequalities within the population. The chapter concludes with a critical discussion of the parameters which are necessary for achieving income adequacy and financial sustainability for pension systems in the future
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
-
Part I Research methods
- 1 Contemporary welfare states and their challenges 3
- 2 Four families of theories to understand welfare state change 13
- 3 Evidence-Based Policy-Making 29
-
Part II Welfare regimes
- 4 Nordic welfare states: up to challenge? 47
- 5 Continental European welfare states 65
- 6 Liberal welfare states 85
- 7 The Southern European welfare model 101
- 8 Eastern European welfare states 119
- 9 In search of a suitable path for welfare system development in China 135
- 10 East Asia: welfare determinants and issues in the post-developmentalism era 151
-
Part III Issues and challenges
- 11 Health policy in a comparative perspective 173
- 12 COVID-19 and the welfare state: impacts, mechanisms, and responses 187
- 13 Through the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives for the welfare state 213
- 14 Long-Term Care in ageing societies 233
- 15 Pension 255
- 16 The legitimacy of the welfare state in the age of migration 271
- 17 Education and the welfare state: worlds of early school leaving in Europe 285
- 18 Economic inequality – a growing issue? 309
- 19 Poverty in the five welfare regimes of Europe 321
- 20 Employment and unemployment 343
- 21 Sustainability 359
- 22 Populism 375
- 23 Behavioural public policy 389
- 24 North–South divide and global social policy 403
- 25 Incentives-disincentives – the benefit side of the welfare states 417
-
Part IV Future research needs
- 26 The future of welfare states? 433
- Contributors to this volume 439
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
-
Part I Research methods
- 1 Contemporary welfare states and their challenges 3
- 2 Four families of theories to understand welfare state change 13
- 3 Evidence-Based Policy-Making 29
-
Part II Welfare regimes
- 4 Nordic welfare states: up to challenge? 47
- 5 Continental European welfare states 65
- 6 Liberal welfare states 85
- 7 The Southern European welfare model 101
- 8 Eastern European welfare states 119
- 9 In search of a suitable path for welfare system development in China 135
- 10 East Asia: welfare determinants and issues in the post-developmentalism era 151
-
Part III Issues and challenges
- 11 Health policy in a comparative perspective 173
- 12 COVID-19 and the welfare state: impacts, mechanisms, and responses 187
- 13 Through the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives for the welfare state 213
- 14 Long-Term Care in ageing societies 233
- 15 Pension 255
- 16 The legitimacy of the welfare state in the age of migration 271
- 17 Education and the welfare state: worlds of early school leaving in Europe 285
- 18 Economic inequality – a growing issue? 309
- 19 Poverty in the five welfare regimes of Europe 321
- 20 Employment and unemployment 343
- 21 Sustainability 359
- 22 Populism 375
- 23 Behavioural public policy 389
- 24 North–South divide and global social policy 403
- 25 Incentives-disincentives – the benefit side of the welfare states 417
-
Part IV Future research needs
- 26 The future of welfare states? 433
- Contributors to this volume 439
