Pensions ( Policy and Politics in the Twenty-First Century )

Publication series ：Policy and Politics in the Twenty-First Century

Author： Hill   Michael (Author)  

Publisher： Policy Press‎

Publication year： 2007

E-ISBN: 9781847422408

P-ISBN(Paperback): 9781861348517

Subject： C91 Sociology

Keyword： Care of the elderly

Language： ENG

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Description

This book provides a much-needed introductory guide to the issues surrounding pension policy, not just in the UK but worldwide, and offers a critique of some of the dominant ideas and assumptions. Noting the intense debate that currently surrounds the subject, the book explores a wider view of the continuing issues about pension policy. It draws attention to an ideological 'fault-line' running through pensions policy, between a dominant view of pensions as deferred earnings on the one hand and a view of them as providers of an adequate income to enable elderly people to participate fully in society on the other. It argues for more attention to that second perspective, as an aspect of the search for a satisfactory work/ life balance. Critical of the many 'quick fix' approaches to the topic, the author attacks 'the demographic time bomb thesis' for its crude assumptions about the future burden of the old and exposes naïve assumptions about what can be achieved by pension funding. This book offers an excellent analysis for the general reader and provides an authoritative supplementary text for courses in social policy. Policy and Politics in the Twenty-First Century This exciting series offers a guide through some of today's most hotly contested policy issues by distinguished leaders in the field. Each book untangles current policy debates, looking behind the rhetoric and spin to discover what is at the core of contemporary political agendas. Authors present their own perspectives and make recommendations for what could - or should - be our priorities for future policy reform.

Chapter

Cover

Pensions

Contents

List of tables and figures

Preface

Acknowledgements

Glossary

1. Introduction: pension policy aims and pathways

Introduction

Pensions and pension politics: a historical account

Consolidation of the state role

Pension policy aims

2. UK pensions policies:a historical account

Early developments

The Beveridge Report and pension reform:1940s

From Beveridge to Blair: 1940s–1990s

Attempts at pension reform: 1997–2005

Conclusions

3. Pension scheme adequacy

Introduction

Replacement levels

Inclusiveness and pensioner poverty

Poverty, means-tests and pensioners’ costs

Adequacy in the future

Gender issues

Conclusions

4. Alternative pension models

Introduction

Public versus private, funding versus pay-as-you-go

Trying to classify systems

Drawing statistical contrasts

Some national cases that illustrate aspects of the variations discussed above

Conclusions

5. Pension age and retirement age

Introduction

What do we mean by retirement?

Retirement and pension receipt as simultaneous occurrences

Employment beyond pension age

Retirement before pension age

Conclusions

6. The alleged ‘demographic timebomb’

Introduction

The demographic evidence

Do the figures on the relationship between the numbers of old and the numbers of younger adults provide a realistic picture of the extent of‘dependency’ now or in the future?

Is the dependent–non-dependent relationship within a nation determined by demography?

Challenging the view that those who do no tparticipate in the labour market are‘dependent’

Conclusions

7. Facing the future:the funding obsession

Introduction

Funding and the future

What, then, is the case for funding?

Funding and the future economy

PAYG as an alternative

Conclusions

8. Pension reform

Introduction

The worldwide debate

The UK reform agenda

Conclusions

References

Index

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