Social protection and old age poverty 2010, para. 64

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Paragraph text
If there are strong objections to including wealthy older people in social pensions, there are ways to reduce the benefits to the wealthier beneficiaries. One way is pension-testing that excludes those with other pensions and, if well-designed, should taper the size of the non-contributory pension benefit in line with the income received from contributory pensions. This reduces the disincentive for people to save for retirement. In developing countries where there are inefficient progressive income tax structures, older people on higher incomes can often be dissuaded from collecting the universal pension where the benefit is a relatively small amount. Whatever method is used to identify eligible beneficiaries, it is crucial to have an age eligibility criteria adapted to the specific characteristics of the country.
Legal status
Non-negotiated soft law
Body
Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
Document type
Special Procedures' report
Means of adoption
N.A.
Topic(s)
  • Economic Rights
  • Equality & Inclusion
  • Governance & Rule of Law
  • Health
Person(s) affected
  • Older persons
Year
2010
Paragraph type
Other
Paragraph number
64