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Minimum-Income Benefits in OECD Countries: Policy Design, Effectiveness and Challenges

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  • Herwig Immervoll

    (OECD)

Abstract

Almost all OECD countries operate comprehensive minimum-income programmes for working-age individuals, either as last-resort safety nets alongside primary income replacement benefits, or as the principal instrument for delivering social protection. Such safety-net benefits aim primarily at providing an acceptable standard of living for families unable to earn sufficient incomes from other sources. This paper provides an overview of social assistance and other minimum-income programmes in OECD countries, summarises their main features, and highlights a number of current policy challenges. Presque tous les pays de l’OCDE ont des programmes de revenu-minimum globaux envers les individus en âge de travailler, soit comme des filets de protection de dernier recours accompagnant des prestations principales de remplacement de revenu, soit comme instruments principaux pour apporter une protection sociale. De tels filets de protection ont pour but principalement d’apporter un standard de vie acceptable pour les familles incapables de gagner suffisamment de revenus d’autres sources. Ce document présente un aperçu de l’assistance sociale et d’autres programmes dans les pays de l’OCDE, résume leurs principales caractéristiques et met l’accent sur un nombre de défis politiques actuels.

Suggested Citation

  • Herwig Immervoll, 2010. "Minimum-Income Benefits in OECD Countries: Policy Design, Effectiveness and Challenges," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 100, OECD Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:oec:elsaab:100-en
    DOI: 10.1787/218402763872
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    assistance sociale; impôt sur le revenu négatif; negative income tax; pauvreté; poverty; protection sociale à l’emploi; social assistance; welfare to work;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household
    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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