Ensuring adequate living standards to a growing number of elderly while restraining the growth of pension spending represents the main challenge for Italian pension policy. There is a need for an in-depth analysis of the economic conditions of the elderly which in order to target resources to the more needy groups. Using micro-data from the Bank of Italy Survey of Household Income and Wealth (SHIW), we document that the incidence and intensity of poverty among pensioners in Italy are far below those concerning other citizens. This is mainly attributable to the generous rules which governed, until very recently, the public pension system. However, the economic conditions of pensioners vary a lot with age, gender, region and family characteristics. Some groups present high poverty risks. Moreover, the pension reforms implemented since 1992 will curb the benefits paid to younger generations, which also suffer from relatively low wages and increased job flexi-bility. As a result, for such cohorts the poverty risk after retirement has sharply risen. Changes in the social insurance pension schemes can mitigate some of these risks, but the goal of poverty reduction should be primarily pursued through other expenditure programs.
Download Info
To our knowledge, this item is not available for
download. To find whether it is available, there are three
options:
1. Check below under "Related research" whether another version of this item is available online.
2. Check on the provider's web page
whether it is in fact available.
3. Perform a search for a similarly titled item that would be
available.
Volume (Year): 67 (2008) Issue (Month): 2 (July) Pages: 119-160 Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML
(with abstract),
plain text
(with abstract),
BibTeX,
RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite),
ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:gde:journl:gde_v67_n2_p119-160
Contact details of provider: Postal: via Sarfatti, 25 - 20136 Milano (Italy) Phone: 0039-02-58363301 Fax: 0039-02-58363302 Web page: http://www.gde.unibocconi.it/
Find related papers by JEL classification: H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs