IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hdl/wpaper/2206.html

POVERTY AND THE TRAGEDY OF THE WELFARE STATE Seven terms for a new social contract

Author

Listed:
  • Bea Cantillon;

Abstract

The main mission of the welfare state is to improve the living conditions of the vulnerable in society. For many decades, however, the welfare state has failed to reduce poverty among the active population, in Belgium and elsewhere in Western welfare states. This is not only related to policy failures, there is more to it. The simultaneous increase of poverty, employment and social spending point to a systemic crisis of the welfare state: increasingly it has become more difficult to achieve decent incomes for all while preserving sufficient work incentives without greater efforts in terms of the size and the progressivity of social spending. To better manage climate change, digitalization and ageing a new social contract is therefore needed. That social contract should build on the achievements of the post-war social welfare state but it has to offer more security: by putting a floor under incomes, by broadening the repertoire of work, by including taxes on wealth and carbon emissionsin the redistribution process and by intensifying the cooperation in the European and global context.

Suggested Citation

  • Bea Cantillon;, 2022. "POVERTY AND THE TRAGEDY OF THE WELFARE STATE Seven terms for a new social contract," Working Papers 2206, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    • Handle: RePEc:hdl:wpaper:2206
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://medialibrary.uantwerpen.be/files/57001/80d318e7-d399-411e-bf6f-0c91f16cfb88.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Maarten Goos & Alan Manning & Anna Salomons, 2009. "Job Polarization in Europe," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(2), pages 58-63, May.
    2. Immervoll, Herwig & Richardson, Linda, 2011. "Redistribution Policy and Inequality Reduction in OECD Countries: What Has Changed in Two Decades?," IZA Discussion Papers 6030, IZA Network @ LISER.
    3. Kuypers, Sarah & Marx, Ive, 2021. "Poverty in the EU Using Augmented Measures of Financial Resources: The Role of Assets and Debt," SocArXiv 6e5b4, Center for Open Science.
    4. Olivier Bargain & Tim Callan, 2010. "Analysing the effects of tax-benefit reforms on income distribution: a decomposition approach," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 8(1), pages 1-21, March.
    5. Eichhorst, Werner & Konle-Seidl, Regina, 2008. "Contingent Convergence: A Comparative Analysis of Activation Policies," IZA Discussion Papers 3905, IZA Network @ LISER.
    6. Sarah Kuypers & Ive Marx, 2021. "Poverty in the EU using augmented measures of financial resources: the role of assets and debt," Working Papers 2102, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    7. André Decoster & Sergio Perelman & Dieter Vandelannoote & Toon Vanheukelom & Gerlinde Verbist, 2019. "Which way the pendulum swings? Equity and efficiency of three decades of tax-benefit reforms in Belgium," Working Papers 1907, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    8. Dieter Vandelannoote & Gerlinde Verbist, 2016. "The design of in-work benefits: how to boost employment and combat poverty in Belgium," ImPRovE Working Papers 16/15, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    9. Bea Cantillon, 2011. "The Paradox of the Social Investment State. Growth, Employment and Poverty in the Lisbon Era," Working Papers 1103, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    10. Olivier Bargain & Herwig Immervoll & Heikki Viitamäki, 2012. "No claim, no pain. Measuring the non-take-up of social assistance using register data," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 10(3), pages 375-395, September.
    11. Orsetta Causa & Mikkel Hermansen, 2017. "Income redistribution through taxes and transfers across OECD countries," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1453, OECD Publishing.
    12. Herwig Immervoll & Stefano Scarpetta, 2012. "Activation and employment support policies in OECD countries. An overview of current approaches," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 1(1), pages 1-20, December.
    13. Bea Cantillon;, 2022. "The Tragic Decline of the Poverty Reducing Capacity of the Welfare State: Lessons from Two Decades of Social Policy Research," Working Papers 2201, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    14. Kenneth Nelson & Daniel Fredriksson & Tomas Korpi & Walter Korpi & Joakim Palme & Ola Sjöberg, 2020. "The Social Policy Indicators (SPIN) database," International Journal of Social Welfare, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(3), pages 285-289, July.
    15. Immervoll, Herwig, 2009. "Minimum-Income Benefits in OECD Countries: Policy Design, Effectiveness and Challenges," IZA Discussion Papers 4627, IZA Network @ LISER.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Azzollini, Leo & Breen, Richard & Nolan, Brian, 2023. "Changing Household Structures, Household Employment, and Poverty Trends in Rich Countries," SocArXiv rp37g, Center for Open Science.
    2. Jakub Sowula & Lyle Scruggs, 2025. "Diminishing Returns? Revisiting the Welfare State-Poverty Association," LIS Working papers 910, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    3. Gabriele Mariani; & Bea Cantillon;, 2024. "Measuring the impact of demographic change on relative income poverty in Belgium," Working Papers 2405, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    4. repec:osf:socarx:rp37g_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Sümeyra Akarçeşme & Ane Aranguiz; & Anna Lemmens; & Bea Cantillon;, 2023. "Reaching the European 2030 poverty target: The imperative for balancing the EU Social Agenda," Working Papers 2311, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    6. Gabriele Mariani; & Bea Cantillon;, 2025. "The evolution of relative income poverty in Belgium (1985 - 2021): comparing income poverty indicators across socio-economic groups," Working Papers 2506, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bea Cantillon;, 2022. "The Tragic Decline of the Poverty Reducing Capacity of the Welfare State: Lessons from Two Decades of Social Policy Research," Working Papers 2201, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    2. Sümeyra Akarçeşme & Ane Aranguiz; & Anna Lemmens; & Bea Cantillon;, 2023. "Reaching the European 2030 poverty target: The imperative for balancing the EU Social Agenda," Working Papers 2311, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    3. Sarah Marchal & Mechelen, N. van, 2013. "GINI DP 87: Activation strategies within European minimum income schemes," GINI Discussion Papers 87, AIAS, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies.
    4. Natascha Van Mechelen & Sarah Marchal, 2013. "Trends and convergence of Europe’s minimum income schemes," ImPRovE Working Papers 13/11, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    5. Nerijus Černiauskas & Denisa M. Sologon & Cathal O’Donoghue & Linas Tarasonis, 2022. "Income Inequality and Redistribution in Lithuania: The Role of Policy, Labor Market, Income, and Demographics," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 68(S1), pages 131-166, April.
    6. Bea Cantillon & Sarah Marchal & Chris Luigjes, 2015. "Decent incomes for the poor: which role for Europe?," ImPRovE Working Papers 15/20, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    7. Byambasuren Dorjnyambuu & Mónika Galambosné Tiszberger & Gansuld Daashinkhuu, 2026. "The Role of Taxes and Social Transfers in Income Inequality in the Selected Central-Eastern European Countries," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 68(1), pages 1-46, March.
    8. Stefan Thewissen & Chen Wang & Olaf van Vliet, 2013. "Sectoral trends in earnings inequality and employment International trade, skill-biased technological change, or labour market institutions?," LIS Working papers 595, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    9. Koen Caminada & Kees Goudswaard & Chen Wang & Jinxian Wang, 2019. "Income Inequality and Fiscal Redistribution in 31 Countries After the Crisis," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 61(1), pages 119-148, March.
    10. Pietro Valetto; & Ive Marx;, 2025. "Asset Testing in Social Transfer and Welfare Programs in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review," Working Papers 2508, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    11. Wang, Jinxian & Van Vliet, Olaf, 2014. "Social assistance and minimum income benefits: Benefit levels, replacement rates and policies across 33 countries, 1990-2009," MPRA Paper 66464, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Avram, Silvia & Brewer, Mike & Salvatori, Andrea, 2018. "Can't work or won't work: Quasi-experimental evidence on work search requirements for single parents," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 63-85.
    13. Byambasuren Dorjnyambuu, 2025. "A Systematic Literature Review of Income Inequality in Central–Eastern European Countries," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 67(1), pages 1-49, March.
    14. Sarah Kuypers & Gerlinde Verbist, 2022. "Over-indebtedness and poverty : Patterns across household types and policy effects," Working Paper Research 420, National Bank of Belgium.
    15. Jeroen Horemans, 2016. "Polarisation of Non-standard Employment in Europe: Exploring a Missing Piece of the Inequality Puzzle," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 125(1), pages 171-189, January.
    16. Bea Cantillon & Zachary Parolin & Diego Collado, 2018. "Rising Inequalities and Welfare Generosity: Structural Constraints on the Adequacy of Minimum Incomes in European and American Welfare States," Working Papers 1809, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    17. Orsetta Causa & Mikkel Hermansen, 2017. "Income redistribution through taxes and transfers across OECD countries," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1453, OECD Publishing.
    18. Figari, Francesco & Paulus, Alari & Sutherland, Holly, 2014. "Microsimulation and policy analysis," ISER Working Paper Series 2014-23, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    19. Valetto, Pietro & Marx, Ive, 2025. "Asset Testing in Social Transfer and Welfare Programs in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review," SocArXiv 7ha9w_v1, Center for Open Science.
    20. Sarah Marchal & Wim Van Lancker, 2019. "The Measurement of Targeting Design in Complex Welfare States: A Proposal and Empirical Applications," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 143(2), pages 693-726, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hdl:wpaper:2206. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Santiago Burone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/csbuabe.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.