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Poverty of elderly people in EU25: first report: revised July 2006
- Authors:
- ZAIDI Ashgar, et al
- Publisher:
- European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 63p., tables
- Place of publication:
- Vienna
- Edition:
- Rev. ed.
These findings are that, in the early years of the 21st century, about 13 million elderly people are at risk of poverty in 25 EU member States, amounting to as many as one-in-six of all 74 million elderly people living in EU. Cyprus, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Greece and the United Kingdom are identified as the countries with the highest poverty risk for the elderly population. The new member States are largely countries with the lowest risk of elderly poverty. In 14 out of all 25 member countries the elderly populations are more often at risk of being poor in comparison to working-age populations. The relative risk of elderly poverty is particularly high in Cyprus, Ireland and Slovenia. Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, the Netherlands and Luxembourg are at the other end of the spectrum, where the elderly are better protected against the risk of poverty than the working-age individuals. In the majority of countries, the poverty risk is clearly higher for female elderly - more so in EU15 than in the new member countries. In general, it can be seen that females aged 75 and over show the highest at-risk-of-poverty rates.
Cross-country performance in social integration of older migrants: a European perspective: working paper
- Authors:
- BERCHET Caroline, SIRVEN Nicolas
- Publisher:
- Institut de recherche et documentation en économie de la santé
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 30p.
- Place of publication:
- Paris
This paper presents empirical evidence on the relationship between migration and social integration. Using SHARE data and macroeconomic series, it first analyses the influence of immigrant length of stay in the host country on social integration indicators. It then examines the role institutional characteristics play on cross-country differences in speed of social integration. Findings indicated that the immigrant population presents a lower likelihood than the native population to get involved in social activities and to trust other people. Nevertheless, the more immigrants have spent time in the host country, the more they take part in social activities. The analysis also reveals significant cross-country differences in immigrants’ speed of social integration. Macroeconomic series like the GINI coefficient of income inequality and the Corruption perceived index could explain these differences. From a public policy perspective, the results suggest that immigrants’ social integration is more rapidly achieved in “fair” countries, with a more favourable social environment, where the levels of income inequality and perceived corruption are lower.
Older people 'on the edge' in the countrysides of Europe
- Author:
- GIARCHI George Giacinto
- Journal article citation:
- Social Policy and Administration, 40(6), December 2006, pp.705-721.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Relatively few comparative studies have focused specifically upon the socio-economic conditions affecting the welfare of older rural Europeans. Such publications as exist are usually confined to single studies. In presenting a European overview of their 'life-world' this paper focuses upon the general conditions of older rural Europeans, living in different types of countryside within a centre–periphery framework. These conditions are largely dependent upon the interconnectivity (nexus) between regional urban centres and the older people's types of settlement. The extent of the global socio-economic flows between urban centres and countrysides is critical, especially for those living in less accessible and remote European areas. Older people's positive and negative outcomes are seen to occur within four possible urban–rural parameters. The first consists of two-way socio-economic urban–rural flows that are more likely to be of benefit to significant numbers of older persons, especially in urban fringe and accessible countrysides. The second parameter arises when there is a long-standing impasse, where the lack of communication between the rural locality and urban centre hampers socio-economic urban–rural flows, isolating older people, particularly in less accessible and remote countrysides. The third occurs when regional and local urban centres block or cut back socio-economic flows to the countryside. The fourth takes place when the rural communities resist socio-economic urban flows that they regard as a threat to their rural idyll. Exemplars within each of the four urban–rural alternatives help to show the applicability and workability of this four-way exploratory approach.
Pension policy in EU25 and its possible impact on elderly poverty: second report: revised July 2006
- Authors:
- ZAIDID Ashgar, MARIN Bernd, FUCHS Michael
- Publisher:
- European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 109p.
- Place of publication:
- Vienna
- Edition:
- Rev. ed.
This report provides insights into how pension reforms may impact on retirement incomes and risk of poverty among future pensioners. One common trend is that the generosity of pension benefits drawn from the public pension systems is on the decline. Moreover, reforms have changed in most instances the nature of pension provision from defined-benefit type provision to defined-contribution type provision. In general, this type of change shifts more pension risks towards the generation of current working age individuals, and also results in a more restrictive possibilities of redistribution to lower income individuals. In turn, it is likely that more and more pensioners will fall back on the means-tested social assistance benefits (where available) or else experience poverty.
Older labour migrants' well being in Europe: the case of Switzerland
- Authors:
- BOLZMAN Claudio, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 24(3), May 2004, pp.411-429.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Examines several aspects of the social situation of the older immigrant population in Switzerland. Reviews their demographic history and characteristics and provides profiles of their health and well being, their material standard of life and access to social security and related benefits. It reports selected findings from an original survey of older Italian and Spanish citizens who are resident in the country, which show relatively high rates of disadvantage and poverty. The determination of a large proportion of the immigrant population to remain in Switzerland after they have ceased work demonstrates that the minorities who entered the country as labour migrants will become a permanent element of the Swiss population and its society. Neither the politicians nor the general public in Switzerland have yet accepted the reality of this new diversity. Concludes by discussing the social policy and attitudinal options that face the governments and the population of Switzerland and many other European countries.
Poverty in Europe in the mid-1990
- Authors:
- SAINSBURY Diane, MORISSENS Ann
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of European Social Policy, 12(4), November 2002, pp.307-327.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Examines the income maintenance policies of members of the European Union and three candidate countries: Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. It looks at the effectiveness of these policies and especially means tested safety nets in alleviating poverty. The incidence of poverty was analysed based on the EU poverty line. Results found that during the 1990s the poverty rates increased in most countries and for vulnerable groups. Mean-tested benefits assumed growing importance in alleviating poverty and several countries have improved their schemes to guarantee a minimum income. At the same time reforms have produced diversity in the safety nets across Europe.
Does labour market disadvantage help to explain why childhood circumstances are related to quality of life at older ages? results from SHARE
- Authors:
- WAHRENDORF Morten, BLANE David
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 19(7), 2015, pp.584-594.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
There is robust evidence that childhood circumstances are related to quality of life in older ages, but the role of possible intermediate factors is less explored. In this paper, the authors examine to what extent associations between deprived childhood circumstances and quality of life at older ages are due to experienced labour market disadvantage during adulthood. Analyses are based on the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), with detailed retrospective information on individual life courses collected among 10,272 retired men and women in 13 European countries (2008–2009). The authors' assumption is that those who have spent their childhood in deprived circumstances may also have had more labour market disadvantage with negative consequences for quality of life beyond working life. Results demonstrate that advantaged circumstances during childhood are associated with lower levels of labour market disadvantage and higher quality of life in older ages. Furthermore, results of multivariate analyses support the idea that part of the association between childhood circumstances and later quality of life is explained by labour market disadvantage during adulthood. (Edited publisher abstract)
Europe's ageing demography: an ILC-UK 2014 EU factpack
- Author:
- CREIGHTON Helen
- Publisher:
- International Longevity Centre UK
- Publication year:
- 2014
- Pagination:
- 20
- Place of publication:
- London
A snapshot of what it means to be old in Europe today and the demographic changes Europe will experience over the next half century. This factpack sets out the evidence on a number of areas including health and life expectancy, with men born in Western Europe today expected to live for 67.5 years in good health. It also includes a focus feature on pensioner poverty with evidence showing that over 70 per cent of Bulgarian pensioners living in material deprivation. And it looks at the employment and retirement prospects of older workers, where it finds that on average, only 1 in 2 55-64 year olds are employed across the region. The factpack also investigates the costs of ageing, comparing spending on pensions, health and long term care across Europe. Here it finds that while Denmark spends over €5,000 euros per person on social protection in old age, Latvia, Romania and Croatia spend only one tenth of this. (Edited publisher abstract)
Recent trends in minimum income protection for Europe's elderly: discussion paper
- Author:
- GOEDEME Tim
- Publisher:
- University of Amsterdam. Amsterdam Institute of Advanced Labour Studies
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 44p.
- Place of publication:
- Amsterdam
In spite of differences in European pension systems, at least some regulation can be found in every European Union member state which guarantees a minimum income for older people. This paper reviews existing minimum income policies for the elderly in Europe, building on data from a project involving national experts from 25 member states, and explores whether minimum income benefit levels are sufficient for avoiding poverty in old age. It looks at different types of minimum income guarantees targeted at older people, including entitlement criteria (whether access is dependent on past contributions or not and the type of means testing which is applied) and types of contributory and non-contributory pensions. It discusses European variation in the availability of minimum income protection schemes, trends and levels of non-contributory minimum income benefits, and the adequacy of minimum income packages.
Pension reform and income inequality among older people in 15 European countries
- Authors:
- VAN VLIET Olaf, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Social Welfare, 21(S1), October 2002, pp.S8-S29.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The ageing of populations has triggered pension reform in many advanced capitalist societies. Plans to alleviate the pressure of ageing on public financing have resulted in a trend towards more private pension provision. Considering that private social security arrangements generally entail less income redistribution than public social security, it could be expected that shifts from public to private in the pension provision would lead to higher levels of income inequality and poverty among older people. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the developments in pension systems and the variation in income inequality and poverty among older people across 15 European countries over the time period 1995-2007. First, using data from the OECD Social Expenditure database, the article analyses the extent to which reforms have resulted in a trend towards relatively more private pension provision. Next, using data from the EU Household Panel survey and Statistics on Income and Living Conditions, the article examines the extent to which these shifts have influenced income inequality levels and poverty rates among older people. The main result of the analysis is that shifts from public to private pension provision are not associated with higher levels of income inequality or poverty among older people. The results appear to be robust for a wide range of econometric specifications.