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Income Maintenance in Old Age: What Can be Learned from Cross-National Comparisons

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  • Timothy Smeeding
  • James Williamson

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to review the recent evidence on the antipoverty effectiveness and other characteristics of income maintenance systems for the elderly in the rich nations of the world. As we move toward Social Security reform in the United States, we do so knowing that a comparatively high fraction of our older population experience, income poverty compared to their counterparts in other nations. Strategies to reduce the future Social Security deficit need to take into account the way that program changes affect poverty and benefit adequacy as well as fiscal soundness. Other nations offer approaches which would help us to achieve lower poverty rates while also providing fiscally responsible solutions to the future public costs of an aging society through reforms to the Social Security system.

Suggested Citation

  • Timothy Smeeding & James Williamson, 2001. "Income Maintenance in Old Age: What Can be Learned from Cross-National Comparisons," LIS Working papers 263, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    • Handle: RePEc:lis:liswps:263
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    8. Katherin Ross Phillips & Paul Gertler & Timothy M. Smeeding & Orazio P. Attanasio & Manfred Zeller & Hugo A. Hopenhayn & Estelle James & José-Victor Ríos-Rull & Steen Lau Jørgensen & Nora Lustig & Eli, 2001. "Shielding the Poor: Social Protection in the Developing World," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 50878 edited by Nora Lustig, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Maria Evandrou & Jane Falkingham & Tom Sefton, 2009. "Women’s family histories and incomes in later life in the UK, US and West Germany," CASE Papers case138, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE.
    2. Kee-Lee Chou & Siu-Yau Lee, 2018. "Superimpose Material Deprivation Study on Poverty Old Age People in Hong Kong Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 139(3), pages 1015-1036, October.
    3. Maria Evandrou & Jane Falkingham & Tom Sefton, 2009. "The relationship between women’s work histories and incomes in later life in the UK, US and West Germany," CASE Papers case137, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE.
    4. Philippe Jacques & Marie-Louise Leroux & Dalibor Stevanovic, 2021. "Poverty among the elderly: the role of public pension systems," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 28(1), pages 24-67, February.
    5. repec:ces:ifodic:v:10:y:2012:i:4:p:19074538 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Edward Whitehouse & Richard Disney, 2002. "The Economic Well-Being of Older People in International Perspective: A Critical Review," LIS Working papers 306, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    7. Evandrou, Maria & Falkingham, Jane & Sefton, Tom, 2009. "Women's family histories and incomes in later life in the UK, US and West Germany," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 43864, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Unnikrishnan, Vidhya & Imai, Katsushi S., 2020. "Does the old-age pension scheme improve household welfare? Evidence from India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    9. Kees Goudswaard & Olaf van Vliet & Jim Been & Koen Caminada, 2012. "Pensions and Income Inequality in Old Age," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 10(04), pages 21-26, December.
    10. Kees Goudswaard & Olaf van Vliet & Jim Been & Koen Caminada, 2012. "Pensions and Income Inequality in Old Age," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 10(4), pages 21-26, December.
    11. Evandrou, Maria & Falkingham, Jane & Sefton, Tom, 2009. "Women's family histories and incomes in later life in the UK, US and West Germany," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 28242, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    12. Siu-Yau Lee & Kee-Lee Chou, 2016. "Trends in Elderly Poverty in Hong Kong: A Decomposition Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 129(2), pages 551-564, November.
    13. Robert Brown & Steven Prus, 2003. "Social Transfers and Income Inequality in Old-age: A Multi-national Perspective?," LIS Working papers 355, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    14. James Williamson & Timothy Smeeding, 2004. "Sliding into Poverty? Cross-National Patterns of Income Source Change and Income Decay in Old Age," LIS Working papers 388, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    15. Evandrou, Maria & Falkingham, Jane & Sefton, Tom, 2009. "The relationship between women’s work histories and incomes in later life in the UK, US and West Germany," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 43863, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    16. Evandrou, Maria & Falkingham, Jane & Sefton, Tom, 2009. "The relationship between women's work histories and incomes in later life in the UK, US and West Germany," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 28243, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    17. repec:dau:papers:123456789/11143 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Syam Prasad, 2011. "Deprevation and vulnerability among elderly in India," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2011-013, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    19. Van Vliet, Olaf & Been, Jim & Caminada, Koen & Goudswaard, Kees, 2011. "Pension reform and income inequality among the elderly in 15 European countries," MPRA Paper 32940, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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