{"title":"Orsitto, David. Varieties of equality in European welfare states: A multidisciplinary approach to redistribution. Northampton, MA, Elgar, 2024. 170 pp. ISBN 9781035343676.","authors":"Silvia Borzutzky","doi":"10.1111/issr.12385","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/issr.12385","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":44996,"journal":{"name":"International Social Security Review","volume":"78 1","pages":"127-129"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143602646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kristjan Pulk, Leonore Riitsalu, David A. Comerford
{"title":"Prompts cause people to update their preference of when to take retirement and increase confidence in choice","authors":"Kristjan Pulk, Leonore Riitsalu, David A. Comerford","doi":"10.1111/issr.12380","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/issr.12380","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The decision concerning when to take retirement involves many uncertain factors. When confronted with such high stakes and complex decisions, people might defer to defaults or norms instead of asking themselves which option best suits their own circumstances. We present a survey experiment to test whether prompting people to reflect on their personal situation, such as debt, health and skills alters a) when they choose to claim their pension and b) confidence in that choice. We asked 2,197 Estonians aged 50–64, if they were to make the decision, would they take an early retirement, a flexible pension, or continue to work until retirement age? The prompt caused a 50.9 per cent increase in the proportion of participants choosing to continue working – from 23.4 per cent in the control condition to 35.3 per cent in the prompted groups. Although we study retirement choices in Estonia, our results have a general implication – our data suggest that people take early retirement without first asking themselves fundamental questions about whether retiring at that age is best for them. A second implication is that a simple and scalable prompt can cause a shift in preference and increase people’s confidence in their choice, therefore serving as a signpost towards a considered retirement decision.</p><p>Die Entscheidung über den Zeitpunkt des künftigen Renteneintritts ist mit vielen Unsicherheiten behaftet. Bei komplexen Entscheidungen mit einer solchen Tragweite greifen viele Menschen auf Standardlösungen und Vorgaben zurück, anstatt sich nach einer für die eigenen Umstände optimalen Option zu fragen. In diesem Artikel wird eine Studie vorgestellt, in der die Menschen gebeten wurden, sich zu fragen, ob die Berücksichtigung ihrer persönlichen Situation in Bezug auf Schulden, Gesundheit und Kompetenzen a) den Zeitpunkt des Rentenanspruchs und b) die Zufriedenheit mit dieser Wahl verändern würde. 2.297 Bürger Estlands im Alter von 50–64 Jahren wurden befragt, ob sie, wenn sie dies neu entscheiden könnten, eine Frührente beziehen, eine flexible Rentenlösung wählen oder bis zum Renteneintrittsalter arbeiten wollten. Durch die Befragung erhöhte sich der Anteil der Teilnehmenden, die weiter arbeitstätig sein wollen, von 23,4 Prozent in der Kontrollgruppe auf 35,3 Prozent in der Gruppe der Befragten – also eine Erhöhung um insgesamt 50,9 Prozent. Obwohl nur die Rentenpräferenzen Estlands untersucht wurden, lässt diese Studie allgemeine Folgerungen zu, denn die erhobenen Daten zeigen, dass Menschen oft in Frührente gehen, ohne dass sie sich zuerst grundlegende Fragen darüber gestellt haben, ob ein Ruhestand in diesem frühen Alter wirklich gut für sie wäre. Eine zweite Folgerung lautet, dass ein simples und anpassbares Erinnerungsschreiben letztlich zu veränderten Präferenzen und zu einer höheren Zufriedenheit mit der eigenen Wahl führen und damit den Ausgangspunkt einer überlegten Ruhestandsentscheidung bilden kann.</p><p>Le choix de la date de départ en retraite ","PeriodicalId":44996,"journal":{"name":"International Social Security Review","volume":"78 1","pages":"3-27"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143602643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Developing long-term care insurance in China: A review of structure, impact and future directions","authors":"Mel Cousins","doi":"10.1111/issr.12383","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/issr.12383","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Since 2016, China has established long-term care insurance (LTCI) in the form of pilot projects that now extend to almost 50 cities. The need for long-term care is likely to increase significantly. This article looks at initial studies undertaken in a range of cities on the impact of the LTCI pilots on health and the use of health care, on income, poverty and consumption, informal care and labour force participation. It reviews policy assessments that have identified gaps and challenge in the provision of LTCI. The article concludes with possible next steps in developing LTCI in China drawing on national and international experiences.</p>","PeriodicalId":44996,"journal":{"name":"International Social Security Review","volume":"78 1","pages":"83-106"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/issr.12383","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143602644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Racial and ethnic inequalities in pension insurance coverage in Colombia","authors":"Kristin J. Kleinjans","doi":"10.1111/issr.12384","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/issr.12384","url":null,"abstract":"<p>While the low coverage levels of Latin American pension systems are amply documented, inequalities within demographics beyond income and education are less understood. To fill this gap, this article analyses racial and ethnic differences in pension coverage in Colombia. Since racial and ethnic minorities in Colombia are disproportionally poor, old-age pensions are especially important for these marginalized populations. The article finds that indigenous and, to a lesser extent, afro-Colombians and their partners are significantly less likely to contribute to any pension programme than non-minorities. Much – but not all – of this gap can be explained by educational and occupational differences.</p><p>Alors que les faibles taux de couverture des systèmes de pension en Amérique latine ont été amplement documentés, on connaît moins bien les inégalités existant entre catégories démographiques en dehors des inégalités de revenu et de niveau d’études. Pour combler cette lacune, cet article analyse les disparités raciales et ethniques en matière de couverture de ces régimes en Colombie. Dans ce pays, les minorités raciales et ethniques étant particulièrement pauvres, les pensions de vieillesse revêtent une importance particulière. L’article constate que les autochtones et, dans une moindre mesure, les Afro-Colombiens et leur conjoint ont une probabilité beaucoup plus faible de cotiser à un régime de pension que les personnes qui n’appartiennent pas à une minorité. Cet écart s’explique en grande partie – quoique pas totalement – par des différences de niveau d’études et de profession.</p><p>Si bien el bajo nivel de cobertura de los sistemas de pensiones en América Latina está ampliamente documentado, aparte de las desigualdades en materia de ingresos y de nivel educativo, hay pocos estudios sobre las desigualdades existentes en el ámbito demográfico. Para colmar esta laguna, en el artículo se analizan las diferencias raciales y étnicas en la cobertura de las pensiones en Colombia. En este país, donde las minorías raciales y étnicas son desproporcionadamente pobres, las pensiones de vejez revisten una importancia especial para estos grupos de población marginados. En el artículo se pone de manifiesto que la población indígena y, en menor medida, los afrocolombianos y sus cónyuges, tienen muchas menos probabilidades de cotizar a un plan de pensiones que las personas que pertenecen a una minoría. Esta diferencia se explica en gran medida por las diferencias en materia de educación y empleo.</p><p>Der geringe Deckungsgrad der lateinamerikanischen Rentensysteme ist zwar gut dokumentiert, aber außer in Bezug auf Einkommen und Bildungsstand gibt es noch kaum Untersuchungen zu demografiebezogenen Ungleichheiten. Um diesen Mangel zu beheben, werden im vorliegenden Artikel rassische und ethnische Unterschiede in der Rentendeckung Kolumbiens analysiert. Da Angehörige rassischer und ethnischer Minoritäten in Kolumbien meist unverhältnismäßig arm sind, haben Alters","PeriodicalId":44996,"journal":{"name":"International Social Security Review","volume":"78 1","pages":"107-125"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143602645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding clerical decisions in granting social assistance: Insights from national social security officials in Brazil","authors":"Luiz Alonso de Andrade, Elias Pekkola","doi":"10.1111/issr.12381","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/issr.12381","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Street-level professionals, such as social workers, shape policy implementation by exerting discretion. However, it remains unclear how other street-level bureaucrats (SLBs), who are not considered to hold a professional status and who perform highly regulated activities, can do the same. Even though the decision-making leeway of these SLBs is marginal, the aggregated effects can be strong. This is especially true for the social security systems of large developing economies, such as Brazil’s National Social Security Institute (INSS), the operation of which depends very heavily on the roles played by INSS officials. This study addresses how these officials perceive their discretion. It applies an analytical framework, based on street-level bureaucracy and discretion theories, to qualitatively approach the survey data (<i>n</i> = 486). The findings evidence diverse ways in which officials perceive their discretion, providing insights for policy makers and management. Based on the findings, the proposed model can also be adapted to other national social security system contexts.</p><p>Les professionnels de terrain tels que les travailleurs sociaux influent sur la manière dont les politiques sont appliquées lorsqu’ils exercent leur liberté discrétionnaire. On ne sait cependant pas avec certitude s’il en va de même d’autres agents publics de proximité, qui ne sont pas considérés comme des professionnels qualifiés et qui exécutent des tâches très réglementées. La marge de manœuvre dont ils disposent lorsqu’ils statuent est certes très faible, mais ses effets cumulés peuvent être considérables. Ce constat est particulièrement vrai pour les systèmes de sécurité sociale de grandes économies en développement, comme celui administré par l’Institut national de sécurité sociale (<i>Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social</i> – INSS) du Brésil, dont le fonctionnement dépend dans une très large mesure des agents. Cet article porte sur la manière dont ces agents perçoivent leur pouvoir discrétionnaire. Il applique un cadre analytique reposant sur les théories relatives aux agents publics de proximité et à leur liberté discrétionnaire pour réaliser une analyse qualitative de données d’enquête (<i>n</i> = 486). Il met en évidence les différentes manières dont les agents perçoivent leur liberté discrétionnaire, apportant ainsi un éclairage aux décideurs et dirigeants. Le modèle proposé peut être transposé à d’autres systèmes nationaux de sécurité sociale.</p><p>Los profesionales sobre el terreno, como los trabajadores sociales, influyen en la puesta en marcha de las políticas mediante el ejercicio de su discrecionalidad. Sin embargo, todavía no queda claro en qué medida otros funcionarios públicos sobre el terreno, que no están considerados profesionales cualificados y desempeñan actividades sumamente reguladas, pueden hacer lo mismo. Si bien el margen de maniobra de estos funcionarios a la hora de tomar decisiones es marginal, a la larga su trabajo puede tener con","PeriodicalId":44996,"journal":{"name":"International Social Security Review","volume":"78 1","pages":"29-56"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143602584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Maternity, motherhood and access to contributory pensions: The case of Uruguay","authors":"Ianina Rossi","doi":"10.1111/issr.12382","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/issr.12382","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Maternity and care of young children are among the primary reasons for gender-based discrimination and formal work interruptions faced by women. We examine how maternity impacts access to contributory pensions and the amount of the first pension in Uruguay, a country with relatively high income and low informality in the Latin American context. Motherhood reduces the proportion of women eligible for full pensions by 12–60 percentage points depending on retirement age and length of the interruptions. Access disparities are greater for low-income than high-income women. Many women leave the formal labour market despite having previously made contributions, resulting in them not being able to satisfy eligibility conditions for contributory pensions. Maternity credits while necessary are insufficient alone to address this issue.</p><p>La maternité et la prise en charge des jeunes enfants figurent parmi les principales causes de discriminations liées au genre et d’interruptions de carrière subies par les femmes. L’article analyse l’impact de la maternité sur l’accès aux pensions contributives et sur le montant de la pension versée par le premier pilier en Uruguay, pays où le revenu est relativement élevé et le travail informel relativement peu répandu comparativement à d’autres pays d’Amérique latine. La maternité est associée à une réduction de la proportion de femmes ouvrant droit à une pension à taux plein, réduction qui varie de 12 à 60 points de pourcentage selon l’âge de la retraite et la durée des interruptions de carrière. Les inégalités d’accès sont plus grandes parmi les femmes modestes que parmi celles qui perçoivent un revenu élevé. Beaucoup de femmes quittent le marché du travail formel malgré les cotisations qu’elles ont déjà versées, si bien qu’elles ne remplissent pas les conditions requises pour ouvrir droit à une pension contributive. Pour nécessaire qu’elle soit, la validation de crédits au titre de la maternité n’est pas une mesure suffisante pour remédier à cette situation.</p><p>La maternidad y el cuidado de niños de corta edad se encuentran entre las principales causas de la discriminación por motivos de género y de las interrupciones en la carrera profesional que sufren las mujeres. En este artículo se examina la repercusión de la maternidad en el acceso a las pensiones contributivas y en el importe de la pensión del primer pilar en el Uruguay, país en el que los ingresos son relativamente altos y el nivel de informalidad es bajo, si se compara con otros países de América Latina. La maternidad genera una reducción de la proporción de mujeres con derecho a una pensión completa, que va de 12 a 60 puntos porcentuales, dependiendo de la edad de jubilación y de la duración de las interrupciones. Las disparidades de acceso son mayores entre las mujeres con ingresos bajos que entre las que perciben ingresos altos. Muchas mujeres abandonan el mercado de trabajo formal a pesar de haber cotizado anteriormente, por lo que no cumplen la","PeriodicalId":44996,"journal":{"name":"International Social Security Review","volume":"78 1","pages":"57-81"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143602585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial: Gender and social security","authors":"Roddy McKinnon","doi":"10.1111/issr.12376","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/issr.12376","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":44996,"journal":{"name":"International Social Security Review","volume":"77 4","pages":"5-6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Minding the gender gap in Viet Nam's old-age pensions: Actuarial insights on addressing women's discrimination in the design of social insurance schemes","authors":"Betina Ramírez López, Anasuya Sengupta","doi":"10.1111/issr.12375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/issr.12375","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The article presents an analysis of the factors that shape gender gaps in old-age pension coverage and outcomes in Viet Nam. The authors argue that gender norms shape not only women's roles and constraints in society, but further influence policy discourse that impact women's access to employment and social security over their life course. Drawing on a mix of quantitative, qualitative and actuarial evidence from the International Labour Organization and other key actors working on women's employment and access to social security in Viet Nam, such as Viet Nam Women's Union, the article seeks to illustrate the confluence of demand and supply side factors that underly gender gaps in old-age pensions. A key finding from Viet Nam, relevant for many parts of the region and the world, is that women are discriminated against in social security systems by design. This is particularly stark in the legacy design of social insurance systems, that were once tailored to serve a predominantly male, formal workforce. Moreover, without introducing an explicit gender lens in the design of social insurance schemes, for example eligibility criteria and benefit calculations, any proposals for policy reform further risk exacerbating rather than mitigating existing gender gaps in social insurance schemes. The authors propose key recommendations for both Vietnamese policy makers and international actors to address such gender gaps and help achieve the government's commitments towards an inclusive social security system.</p><p>Cet article présente une analyse des facteurs qui influent sur les écarts entre femmes et hommes en ce qui concerne les pensions de vieillesse et leur couverture au Viet Nam. Les autrices avancent que les normes de genre n’agissent pas seulement sur les rôles et contraintes imposés aux femmes dans la société: elles exercent aussi une influence sur le discours des pouvoirs publics et ont ainsi un impact sur leur accès à l’emploi et à la sécurité sociale tout au long de leur vie. L’article s’appuie sur un ensemble de données quantitatives, qualitatives et actuarielles de l’Organisation internationale du Travail (OIT) et d’autres acteurs importants impliqués dans l’emploi et l’accès des femmes à la sécurité sociale au Viet Nam (par exemple le Syndicat des femmes du Viet Nam) et cherche à mettre en évidence les facteurs d’offre et de demande qui se conjuguent pour créer des inégalités entre hommes et femmes dans le domaine des pensions de vieillesse. Il met notamment en évidence une conclusion qui vaut pour le Viet Nam comme pour de nombreux pays de la région et du monde: tels qu’ils sont conçus, les systèmes de protection sociale sont discriminatoires à l’encontre des femmes. Cette inégalité est particulièrement forte dans des systèmes de protection sociale qui, autrefois, s’adressaient à une main-d’œuvre formelle essentiellement masculine. De surcroît, si la dimension du genre n’est pas expressément prise en compte lors de la conception des régime","PeriodicalId":44996,"journal":{"name":"International Social Security Review","volume":"77 4","pages":"103-134"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Index for 2024","authors":"","doi":"10.1111/issr.12377","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/issr.12377","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":44996,"journal":{"name":"International Social Security Review","volume":"77 4","pages":"137-140"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancing gender-responsive social protection among informal and traditionally uncovered workers in sub-Saharan Africa: An assessment of access to maternity protection","authors":"Zitha Mokomane, Laurel Grzesik-Mourad, Jody Heymann","doi":"10.1111/issr.12373","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/issr.12373","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A wide and established body of research evidence has consistently shown how the effective provision of social protection benefits and the promotion of gender equality are among the key tools for addressing shocks, vulnerability and poverty. It is largely to this end that these ideals implicitly feature throughout the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and explicitly in two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The first is SDG 1 on poverty reduction, target 1.3 of which calls for the implementation of nationally appropriate social protection systems, measures and floors for all. The second is SDG 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empowerment for all women and girls. Despite this, women across the world continue to receive contributory social security benefits that are notably lower than those of men. There is, therefore, a need for a critical and deeper understanding of policy, legislative and programmatic factors that underlie gender gaps in social protection provision. To contribute to knowledge in this regard, and while not aiming to address the intractable challenge of labour market formalization, this article draws on qualitative data from case studies conducted in 2022 among informal economy and other traditionally unprotected workers in three countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Mozambique, United Republic of Tanzania, and Togo), the region with the highest proportion of informal workers. The aim was to explore the extent to which these workers, who are predominantly women, have access to the various elements of maternity protection. The results showed the extent to which explicit legislative and policy frameworks as well as knowledge and service context often limit women’s access to maternity protection. The article draws on the key findings to provide strategic recommendations for designing and effectively implementing more gender-responsive social protection benefits in developing economy contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":44996,"journal":{"name":"International Social Security Review","volume":"77 4","pages":"79-101"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/issr.12373","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}