Social Pensions Archives - Pension Policy International

15JunJune 15, 2026

Should Ghana introduce a universal pension for elderly citizens?

As Ghana continues to debate the future of its pension system, an important question is emerging in public policy discussions: Should every elderly Ghanaian receive a basic state pension, regardless of whether they contributed to a formal pension scheme? The question is both timely and necessary. Across Ghana, thousands of elderly citizens who spent their productive years farming, trading, fishing, artisan work, caregiving, and other forms of informal employment now find themselves facing old age without any reliable source of...

June 15, 2026

NewsGhana, Social Pensions

29MayMay 29, 2026

Should Malaysia expand its social pension? Global evidence, design issues and options

By World Bank Group This study examines whether Malaysia should expand its social pension coverage and adequacy by drawing on global experiences and comparing them to the Malaysian context. It explores the impacts of social pensions on various social indicators and addresses key design issues for expansion. The paper concludes with recommendations for reforms, emphasizing the need to balance welfare and equity impacts with fiscal considerations. Get the report here

May 29, 2026

Books, Books, Reports, System Sustainability2025, Aging, Malaysia, Social Pensions, System sustainability

20MarMarch 20, 2026

Non-contributory Pension Programs and Intra-household Inequality

By José L. Casco Non-contributory pension schemes are increasingly prevalent as countries seek to combat poverty, yet their role in shaping inequality remains underexplored. This paper studies how such programs alter intra-household inequality using data from Mexican household income and expenditure surveys. The analysis first examines a local pension program in Mexico City, embedding an age-based quasi-experimental design to identify beneficiaries within a structural model of extended households. Results show that the program shifted resources from men to women and...

March 20, 2026

Articles, Pension Management2026, Equality, Gender Gap, Mexico, Social Pensions

16JanJanuary 16, 2026

Cash Transfers and Socioeconomic Behavior among Older Adults:,Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design

By Anh Tuyet Nguyen & Hiroyuki Yamada The rapid aging of populations has prompted the introduction of social pension programs aimed at preserving the welfare of the elderly. However, adverse socioeconomic behaviors may dampen the intended policy effects. Using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, this study examines the impact of social pension receipt on expenditure patterns and material hardship among older adults aged 80 year or older in Vietnam. We find that social pension increases the risk of material hardship...

January 16, 2026

Articles, System Sustainability2026, Aging, Public spending, Social Pensions

28NovNovember 28, 2025

Financial sustainability for the expansion of non-contributory pension systems and the eradication of old-age poverty

By Alberto Arenas de Mesa, Ernesto Espíndola & Juan Ignacio Vila Income protection is a substantive factor and a priority of social protection systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, in particular at either end of the life cycle (i.e. childhood and old age). This is due to the greater vulnerability and lower earning capacity of these population segments compared with other age groups, among other factors (Santos Garcia, Farías and Robles, 2023). In these circumstances, pension systems, in particular...

November 28, 2025

Articles, System Sustainability2024, Funding, Latin America, Pension Reform, Social Pensions, Social Protection

15OctOctober 15, 2025

Germany greenlights €2,000 tax-free earnings for pensioners

Germany will introduce an “active pension” from 1 January 2026 that lets people who choose to work past the statutory retirement age earn up to €2,000 per month tax-free. Labour Minister Bärbel Bas framed the Aktivrente as a straightforward incentive intended to keep experienced workers in the labour market. Asked about the centre-right Union’s proposal for a tax-free top-up, Bas said “anyone who voluntarily wants to work longer needs attractive conditions”. She added that the government would lift the ban on prior employment, which...

October 15, 2025

NewsGermany, Income, Social Pensions

05SepSeptember 5, 2025

Mortality and the Provision of Retirement Income

By Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development This report analyses the development of mortality assumptions to build mortality tables to better protect retirement income provision. Mortality assumptions are necessary to ensure the sustainability of lifetime incomes. It explores considerations and traditional approaches for developing mortality tables, as well as provides an international overview of longevity trends and drivers over the last several decades, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report also details the standard mortality tables developed across...

September 5, 2025

Aging, Books, Books, Reports2023, Healthcare, Income, Social Pensions, Social Protection

22AugAugust 22, 2025

Pensions in Aging Asia and the Pacific: Policy Insights and Priorities

By Rafal Chomik, Philip O’Keefe & John Piggott This paper looks at how pension systems across Asia and the Pacific can overcome common challenges of low contributory coverage, inadequate social pensions, and failure to include the informal sector. Pension systems in the region also exhibit gender inequities, a lack of policy flexibility and attention to labor incentives, and underdeveloped governance. The paper reviews the structure and performance of regional pension systems, and makes proposals for an expanded role for social pensions...

August 22, 2025

Books, Books, Pension design, Reports2025, Asia, Public Policy, Social Pensions, Social Protection

23JulJuly 23, 2025

US. Pensions for all: New bill guarantees retirement income to 56M workers without a plan

Retirement proposals for workers without an employer-sponsored retirement plan were front and center at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee meeting last week. Senator Bill Cassidy, (R-LA), chair of the HELP Committee, delivered opening remarks on how to empower gig workers to access portable workplace benefits, like health care and retirement, in his legislation aimed at improving retirement security of freelance and gig workers called the Independent Retirement Fairness Act that he introduced last week in the Senate. “The...

July 23, 2025

NewsSocial Pensions, US

26JunJune 26, 2025

Experts call for universal pension law as majority of Uganda’s elderly remain uncovered

Experts have urged the government to introduce a universal, rights-based pension law to protect the country’s growing elderly population, most of whom currently receive no formal support. The call was made by the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER) and Research & Action for Income Security (RAISE) during the launch of a new working paper titled “A People’s Pension: The Right to Social Security for Older Persons Comparative Perspectives from Southern and Eastern Africa. According to the paper, Uganda lacks...

June 26, 2025

NewsCoverage, Social Pensions, Uganda

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