Social Assistance in the New EU Member States : Strengthening Performance and Labor Market Incentives

This report looks at safety nets in the new member states from the perspective of fiscal impact and effectiveness. Given the limited budgets for social assistance, ensuring that resources are spent well, reach those who need them, and optimize welfare gains and labor market outcomes. This also requires attention to the balance between spending on means-tested antipoverty programs and family benefits and social insurance programs. Because of high levels of pension spending and rapidly aging populations, there is a risk that contributory social insurance spending will crowd out spending on social assistance. Managing the long-term fiscal sustainability of these programs to meet emerging needs is a priority. This paper looks at social assistance within the broader context of social protection. The main focus of the policy discussion is on the guaranteed minimum income programs, which comprise the centerpiece of the social assistance systems in each of the EU8 countries. Child allowances are also discussed, which are the most important programs from the perspective of spending levels. The first Chapter reviews the datasets and approach. Chapter 2 looks at the context of poverty and social exclusion in the EU8 and the implications for safety nets. Chapter 3 analyses social protection spending. Chapter 4 reviews the performance of social assistance and social protection based on household survey data for six of the countries. Chapter 5 discusses policy design issues including administration, decentralization and activation measures. Chapter 6 looks at the labor market incentives of combined taxes and benefits, and discusses in-work benefits. Chapter 7 concludes.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Ringold, Dena, Kasek, Leszek
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC: World Bank 2007
Subjects:	ABSOLUTE POVERTY, ACCESS TO SERVICES, ACCOUNTING, ACTIVE LABOR MARKET PROGRAMS, ADDITIONAL FINANCING, ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, ADMINISTRATIVE DATA, AGEING POPULATIONS, ANTI-POVERTY PROGRAMS, ANTIPOVERTY PROGRAMS, ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, AVERAGE BENEFIT, AVERAGE MONTHLY BENEFIT, AVERAGE MONTHLY BENEFITS, BENEFICIARIES, BENEFICIARY, BENEFIT AMOUNT, BENEFIT FORMULAS, BENEFIT LEVELS, BENEFIT SYSTEMS, CALCULATION, CALCULATIONS, CASH BENEFITS, CASH TRANSFER, CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMS, CASH TRANSFERS, CHILD ALLOWANCES, CHILD BENEFIT, CHILD BENEFITS, CHILD CARE, CHILD POVERTY, CHILD PROTECTION, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, CONSUMPTION SMOOTHING, CONTRIBUTION, CONTRIBUTIONS, CONTRIBUTORY PENSIONS, COUNTRY COMPARISONS, CROWDING OUT, CUSTOMER SERVICE, DATA COLLECTION, DELIVERY MECHANISMS, DEMOGRAPHIC PRESSURES, DISABILITY, DISABILITY BENEFITS, DISABILITY PENSIONS, DISCRIMINATION, DISPOSABLE INCOME, DISSEMINATION, EARLY RETIREMENTS, EARNINGS, ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, FAMILY BENEFIT, FAMILY BENEFITS, FERTILITY, FERTILITY RATES, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY, FLAT RATE, FORMAL EMPLOYMENT, GDP, GMI, GOVERNMENT BENEFITS, GUARANTEED MINIMUM INCOME, HBS, HBS DATA, HEALTH BENEFITS, HEALTH CARE SERVICES, HEALTH FINANCING, HEALTH RISKS, HEALTH SERVICES, HOMELESS, HOUSEHOLD BUDGET SURVEY, HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD SIZE, HOUSEHOLD SURVEY DATA, HOUSEHOLD SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES, HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS, HOUSEHOLD WELFARE, INCIDENCE ANALYSIS, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, INCOME LEVEL, INCOME SECURITY, INCOME SHOCKS, INCOME SUPPORT, INCREASES IN BENEFITS, INDICATOR TARGETING, INDIVIDUAL WELFARE, INEQUALITY, INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS, INFORMATION SYSTEM, INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY, INSURANCE SCHEMES, INSURANCE SERVICES, JOB CREATION, LABOR FORCE, LABOR MARKET, LABOR MARKET POLICIES, LABOR MARKET PROGRAMS, LEGAL STATUS, LIVING CONDITIONS, LIVING STANDARDS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, LOW INCOME, LOW-INCOME, LUMP SUM, MARGINAL TAX RATE, MARKET CONDITIONS, MARKET INCENTIVES, MATERNITY BENEFITS, MATERNITY LEAVE, MEANS TESTING, MINIMUM INCOME, MINIMUM INCOME GUARANTEE, MINIMUM WAGE, MINIMUM WAGES, NATIONAL ACTION, NATIONAL ACTION PLAN, NATIONAL LEVEL, NUMBER OF CHILDREN, OLD AGE, PARENTAL CARE, PAYROLL TAX, PENSION, PENSION REFORMS, PENSION SPENDING, PENSIONS, POOR, POOR HOUSEHOLDS, POVERTY ANALYSIS, POVERTY HEADCOUNT, POVERTY LINE, POVERTY LINES, POVERTY MEASUREMENT, POVERTY MEASURES, POVERTY RATE, POVERTY RATES, POVERTY REDUCTION, POVERTY RELIEF, POVERTY TRAPS, PRODUCTIVITY, PROGRAM BENEFICIARIES, PROTECTION POLICIES, PROTECTION SYSTEM, PROTECTION SYSTEMS, PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS, PURCHASING POWER, PURCHASING POWER PARITY, QUESTIONNAIRES, RELATIVE POVERTY, RELATIVE POVERTY RATES, RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS, RETIREMENT, RETIREMENT AGES, RISKS OF POVERTY, SAFETY NET, SAFETY NETS, SCHOLARSHIPS, SCHOOL MEAL, SENIOR, SEVERANCE PAY, SHARE OF BENEFITS, SHARE OF TRANSFERS, SMALL BUSINESS, SMALL BUSINESSES, SOCIAL ASSISTANCE, SOCIAL BENEFITS, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL EXCLUSION, SOCIAL FUND, SOCIAL INSURANCE, SOCIAL INSURANCE PROGRAMS, SOCIAL POLICY, SOCIAL PROGRAMS, SOCIAL PROTECTION, SOCIAL SAFETY NET, SOCIAL SAFETY NETS, SOCIAL SECURITY, SOCIAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTIONS, SOCIAL SERVICE, SOCIAL SERVICES, SOCIAL WELFARE, SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMS, SOCIAL WORKERS, SOURCES OF INCOME, SUPPORT TO FAMILIES, TARGETING, TAX CREDITS, TAX RATES, TAXABLE INCOME, TAXATION, TRAINING PROGRAMS, TRANSFER PROGRAM, UNEMPLOYED, UNEMPLOYED PERSON, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE, UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, UNIVERSAL BENEFITS, VALUABLE, VULNERABLE GROUPS, WAGE WORKERS, WELFARE PROGRAMS, WELFARE STATES, WITHDRAWAL, WORK INCENTIVES, WORKING ADULTS, WORKING POOR,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/06/8187615/social-assistance-new-eu-member-states-strengthening-performance-labor-market-incentives https://hdl.handle.net/10986/6744
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