Social protection in older age

Pension watch briefing series

Our Pension watch briefing series aims to share lessons on the design and implementation of social pensions. The series includes thematic briefs as well as more detailed overviews of particular social pension schemes.

You can download the briefings directly from this page or order hard copies from the main HelpAge International website.

Briefing No. 7: Poverty, pensions and wellbeing: the impact of pensions in South Africa and Brazil, a comparative study

This briefing compares the impact of pensions in South Africa and Brazil, focussing both on poverty and well-being.

It demonstrates that the impact of pensions goes beyond the direct beneficiaries as older people continue to assist their families and households.

It finds that the positive impacts of pension income on older people's wellbeing are shaped by the wider economic and public policy context.

Briefing No. 6: Challenges and opportunities for age verification in low- and middle-income countries

This briefing focuses on practical considerations for the design and implementation of new registration systems.

It illustrates why registration for age-based transfers is administratively simpler and thus easier to implement at national scale than when based on income or poverty level.

It also provides observations and lessons for strengthening existing weak and ineffective registration systems.

Briefing No. 5: Good practice in the development of management information systems for social protection

This briefing aims to fill a gap in the literature on management information systems (MISs) by examining good practice in their design for social protection.

It recommends that discussions on MISs should move away from the narrow view that they consist only of application software and computer hardware, but rather as the systems that underpin the operations of social protection schemes.

Briefing No. 4: Financing social pensions in low- and middle-income countries

This briefing presents an overview of the different options available to finance new social pension schemes or to scale up existing ones.

It aims to provide useful learning for countries considering the implementation of social pensions, as well as the financing of other cash-transfer and social protection programmes.

Briefing No. 3: Strengthening state-citizen relations in fragile contexts: The role of cash transfers

This briefing examines the role of cash transfers in strengthening state-citizen relations in the context of long-term development in fragile states and situations.

Using examples based on 18 months research consisting of desk study in London and field work undertaken in Sierra Leone, northern Kenya and Sudan, the report argues that social protection programmes in the form of cash transfers, if well designed, could play a significant role in strengthening state-citizen relations.

The nature of programme design and programme ownership is critical to shaping this relationship, which is of crucial importance in fragile contexts.

The briefing is based on a longer report. To learn more download Strengthening state-citizen relations in fragile contexts (full report)

Briefing No. 2: The price of income security in older age: Cost of a universal pension in 50 low- and middle-income countries

This briefing considers the cost of universal social pensions in 50 low- and middle- income countries under a range of scenarios.

It also looks at the future costs of universal pensions in the context of ageing populations in the global South.

The report finds that all countries surveyed could put in a universal pension for everyone over 65 years for less than 1.8 per cent of GDP. It also finds that the long-term costs could be kept stable over time.

The briefing is based on a longer report. To learn more download The price of income security in older age: Cost of a universal pension in 50 low- and middle-income countries - Discussion paper

Briefing No. 1: A social pension in Zambia: perceptions of the cash transfer pilot in Katete

This briefing outlines the perceptions of recipients and others of a pilot cash transfer scheme for everyone over the age of 60 and discusses the practical benefits and challenges of implementing the scheme.

A key finding is that the age-based criteria was seen as fair and socially acceptable. This is in contrast to many experiences of poverty targeting.