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The effects of social pensions on mortality among the extreme poor elderly

Author

Listed:
  • Jose A. Valderrama

    (Departamento de Economía de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.)

  • Javier Olivera

    (Departamento de Economía de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).)

Abstract

We study the effects of Peru’s social pension programme Pension 65 on mortality. The programme provides pensions to people aged 65 and older who do not have other pensions and are extreme poor. The analysis relies on survey data obtained at the baseline and matched to mortality records of 2012-2019. We exploit the discontinuity around the welfare index used by the programme to determine eligibility, and estimate intention-totreat effects. We find that after seven years, the programme could reduce mortality among eligible people by about 11.4 percentage points, implying about one year more in life expectancy. JEL Classification-JE: H55, I38, J14.

Suggested Citation

  • Jose A. Valderrama & Javier Olivera, 2023. "The effects of social pensions on mortality among the extreme poor elderly," Documentos de Trabajo / Working Papers 2023-525, Departamento de Economía - Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.
    • Handle: RePEc:pcp:pucwps:wp00525
    DOI: 10.18800/2079-8474.0525
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mortality; non-contributory pensions; Poverty; regression discontinuity.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination

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