Master of Arts / Department of Economics / William F. Blankenau / This paper examines several different issues which could make the various Social Security programs insolvent. I evaluate each cause and how it is related to the problems experienced by each program to determine potential policy changes. I draw the majority of my data and information from peer-reviewed scholarly articles, as well as government agencies such as the Social Security Administration, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Congressional Research Service. Section 1 of the paper explains the history of the Social Security program and the circumstances creating it. Section 2 goes into greater detail explaining different issues which could make the system insolvent. These areas are: earnings inequality, changes in healthcare, increased life expectancy, changes in the dependency ratio, general trust fund issues, disability trust fund issues, political climate, and recessions/reduced earnings. In Section 3, I evaluate two different proposed plans to fix Social Security. The first plan is an academic plan, the Diamond-Orszag Plan; the second is a plan created by a think-tank, The Heritage Plan. Section 4 gives a conclusion of the implications of the paper and explains the benefits and drawbacks of the two evaluated plans. After evaluating all the problems with Social Security and the two proposed plans, I come to the conclusion that neither plan would be ideal by itself. The Diamond-Orszag Plan is the most politically feasible plan, as it doesn’t change the framework of the current program. A combination of the two plans would be most beneficial, as The Heritage Plan has policy specifically targeting the problems with the Medicare system, where the Diamond-Orszag Plan does not. The three different plans for changing the disability system I evaluate in Section 2.5 are specific, targeted plans and could be a nice addition to a plan such as the Diamond-Orszag Plan. In any case, the sooner politicians finally start taking Social Security’s instability seriously, the better. The longer we wait, the more complex and difficult the problem will become.

Thesis (LLM) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2005

Thesis (MAcc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Op 9 Februarie 2007 het President Thabo Mbeki in sy “State of the Nation Address” aangekondig dat voorstelle vir ‘n bydraende verdienste-gebaseerde nasionale maatskaplike aftreefonds as deel van die 2007- begroting voorgelê sal word. Die raamwerk vir so ‘n nasionale maatskaplike aftreefonds is uiteengesit in ‘n dokument wat gepubliseer is in ‘n geskrif wat deur die Nasionale Tesourie beskikbaar gestel is vir openbare terugvoer. Hierdie stelsel beoog om deur middel van ‘n verpligte belasting wat maandeliks van lede se salarisse afgetrek sal word, ‘n fonds daar te stel wat ten doel het om ‘n sekere vlak van inkomste ná ‘n lid se aftrede te verseker. Die aangeleentheid het onlangs dekking in die pers ontvang onder die opskifte “Lede wat nie vroeg genoeg doodgaan nie, kan pensioenfondse knou”, “Aftreefonds-paniek” en "Nasionale fonds straks deur private sektor bestuur, staat gaan nie almal se geld vat”. Uit hierdie artikels kan afgelei word dat die Suid-Afrikaanse publiek bekommerd is oor die vooruitsig dat die regering aangedui het dat hulle voortaan aftreefondse sal bestuur onder die nasionale maatskaplike aftreefonds. Dit is ‘n welbekende feit dat soortgelyke stelsels in baie ekonomieë wêreldwyd teenwoordig is, en tans onder geweldige finansieringsdruk gebuk gaan. Hierdie navorsing is onderneem om die Suid-Afrikaanse publiek in staat te stel om ‘n ingeligte besluit te neem oor die risiko van ‘n finansieringskrisis by die voorgestelde Suid- Afrikaanse nasionale maatskaplike aftreefonds deur die volgende te doen: · Identifisering van die oorsake van finansieringsprobleme by maatskaplike aftreefondse wêreldwyd. · ‘n Vergelyking te tref tussen die voorgestelde Suid-Afrikaanse nasionale maatskaplike aftreefonds en beter praktyke vir maatskaplike aftreefondse. · ‘n Oorweging of die bogenoemde oorsake van finansieringsprobleme by maatskaplike aftreefondse wêreldwyd, van toepassing is op die Suid-Afrikaanse situasie. iii Die navorsing het op die volgende gedui: · Die hoofoorsake van finansieringskrisisse by nasionale maatskaplike aftreefondse wêreldwyd is: die teenwoordigheid van finalebydraeskemas, afname in die aftreeouderdom van die bevolking, die teenwoordigheid van langer lewensverwagtings en die afname in bevolkingsgroei. · Die voorgestelde Suid-Afrikaanse nasionale maatskaplike aftreefonds is byna identies aan die stelsel van beste praktyke soos voorgelê deur die Wêreldbank. Die feit dat die struktuur van die stelsel gebaseer is op soortgelyke stelsels wat reeds suksesvol geïmplementeer is in die res van die wêreld, behoort die Suid Afrikaanse publiek positief te beïnvloed. · Die Suid-Afrikaanse nasionale maatskaplike aftreefonds sal nie gebaseer wees op ’n finalebydraeskema nie en sal gevolglik nie blootgestel wees aan die risiko nie. Die fonds sal egter, soortgelyk aan die internasionale situasie, blootgestel wees aan ‘n afname in aftree-ouderdom, afname in geboortes en ‘n toename in lewensverwagting. Gebaseer op die bogenoemde bevindinge is dit duidelik dat die Suid-Afrikaanse voorstel vir ’n nasionale maatskaplike aftreefonds, wel blootgestel sal wees aan finansieringsrisiko’s. Die skrywer glo egter dat deur die Suid-Afrikaanse voorstel te baseer op die beste praktyke soos uiteengesit deur die Wêreldbank, hierdie risiko’s op die mees effektiewe manier gehanteer sal word. Die Suid-Afrikaanse voorstel is dus weens sy samestelling, nie voor sy inwerkingtreding reeds gedoem tot die ontwikkeling van ’n finansieringskrisis nie. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: On 9 February 2007 President Thabo Mbeki announced in his “State of the Nation Address” that proposals for an earnings-based national social security fund will be tabled as part of the 2007 budget. The framework for such a national social security fund is documented in a paper released by National Treasury and currently available for public feedback. The purpose of this system is to establish a fund which will ensure that members retain a certain level of income after retirement. This will be done by way of a compulsory tax, which will be deducted from members’ salaries on a monthly basis. This matter recently received widespread press coverage under the headlines “Lede wat nie vroeg genoeg doodgaan nie kan pensioenfondse knou”,”Aftreefonds-paniek” en “Nasionale fonds straks deur die private sektor bestuur, staat gaan nie almal se geld vat”. It is clear from these articles that the South African public is concerned about the prospect that the government indicated that they will be managing retirement funds under the national social security fund. It is also a well-known fact that similar systems worldwide are currently facing major financial pressure. The purpose of this research was to enable the South African public to make an informed decision regarding the financing risk associated with the proposed South African national social security fund by performing the following steps: · Identification of the causes of financing problems at social security funds worldwide. · To compare the proposed South African national social security fund to better practice for social security funds. · To consider whether the abovementioned causes of financing problems in social security funds worldwide, is also applicable to the South African situation. The research indicated the following: v · The main causes of financing crises in national social security funds worldwide are: the presence of final contribution schemes, the decline in the retirement age of the population, the presence of longer life expectancy and the decline in the population growth. · The proposed South African national social security fund is basically identical to the system of best practices as published by the World Bank. · The South African national social security fund will not follow the system of a final contribution scheme and will therefore not be exposed to the risk associated with these schemes. The fund will, however, in line with the international situation, be exposed to the risks associated with the decline in age of retirement, decline in population growth and an increase in life expectancy. Based on the findings listed above it is apparent that the South African proposal for a social security fund will be exposed to finance risks. The writer however believes that by basing the proposal on the best practices as set out by the World Bank, these risks will be mitigated in the most effective manner. The South African proposal is therefore, due to its composition, not doomed to the development of a financing crisis before its coming into existence.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 1992. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Societies are imaginative when setting up non-marl\et responses to deal v1ith insecurity and deprivation. The result is that there are many different services (such as income support, personal welfare services, education, health care and housing) catering for the very general objective of providing security. In addition, a variety of institutions can, and do, provide these services. While the traditional theory of public goods and e::...1ernalities does not provide clear justification for increased state provision of these services (in contrast to market, family, community and employer provision), increased state provision and coordination do seem to be a clear trend both from historical and comparative perspectives. Furthermore, this increased role of the state can be interpreted as representing a reassignment of the traditional roles of other institutions (noted above) to the state. The above trend can be rationalized on economic grounds as being the result of the changing nature of societies which affects the viability of different institutions In the provision of social services. Economic devt~lopment affects the cost of production of social services by different institutions differently. Taking a more in depth view of the costs of production, there are grounds to believe that the comparative advantage of the state in the provision of these_ services grows- a-s economic development takes place. "Nationalization" of the provision of services providing social security as economic development takes place can thus be seen as a stylized fact of economic development, and as representing an adjustment which can be efficiency enhancing. lt is from this perspective that the issue of the affordabiiity of increased social provision in developing countries should be approached. The South African experience provides further evidence of the increasing pressures, over time, for greater state provision of social security. The experience also, how . .:wer, furnishes examples of how in a specific situation these forces can be obstructed by speciric political institutions and how social policy can fail to adjust to changing circumstances. This resulted in the current unequal access to social services, the inequality of benefit levels and the incomplete coverage of risks faced by people in the South African economy. In spite of the incompleteness of the South African social safety net and the inequality which it reflects, fiscal and macroeconomic constraints seem to limit the possibilities for eAtending the safety net and for making it more just These constraints imply, and have resultoo in, the lowering of benefits to the previously privileged _;-( and an adjustment in the nature of benefits, leading to a focus on lower cost services which offer high rates of return. Current demands and envisaged changes in the spht?re of social policy, especially those surrounding a national pension system with universal coverage and G:·.tensive speci31 employm.3nt programmes, however, indicate the strength of the forces making for increase:d "nationali:ation" of income support and other social services. How the perceived fiscal constraints can be reconciled with the alleged rationality of a growing role for the South African state in social provision remains a question. The very general response of this study needs to be evaluated by looking in more d.:.tail at specific programmes and specific aspects of insecurity. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Samelewings is verbeeldingryk met die daarstelling van nie-markgeorienteerde installings om armoede en 'n gebrek aan bestaanssekerheid die hoof te bied. Daarom is daar 'n verskeidenheid dienste (soos inkomsteversekering, persoonlih:e welsynsdienste, gesondheid, onderwys en behuising) om die baie algemene behoefte aan bestaanssekerheid aan te spreek. Daar is dan ook 'n hele verskeidenheid instellings wat hierdie dienste voorsien, en kan voorsien. Alhoewel die tradisionele teorie van publieke goedere en ekstemaliteite nie voldoende regverdiging vir groeiende staatsvoorsiening van hierdia dlenste (in teenstelllng met verskafflng deur markte, families, gemeenskappe en werkgewers) daarstel nie, blyk dit dat toenemende staatsvoorslening uit 'n historiese sowel as vergelykende perspektief 'n duid&like tendens verteenwoordlg. Verder kan die groeiende rol van die staat in hierdle steer oak gesit:m word .:ts die gevolg van die hertoewysing van tradisionele rolle van ander instellings (soos hierbo genoem) aan die staat. Hierdie tend ens kan op ekonomiese gronde gerasionaliseer word as die gevolg van die veranderende aard van samelewlngs wat die ekonomiese lewensvatbaarheid van instellings in die voorsiening van sosiale dienste beinvloed. Ekonomiese ontwikkeling affekteer verskillende instellings, en daarom die produksiekoste van sosiale dienste deur die instellings voorsien, op uiteenlopende maniere. lndien 'n bree konsep van produksiekoste gebruik word is dit moontlik am te argumenteer dat die ataat se vergelykende voordeel in die voorsiening van hierdie dienste toeneem soos 'n land ekonomies ontwikkel. "Nasionalisering" van die dienste wat sosiale sekuriteit daarstel kan dan gesien word as een van die basiese neigings wat met ekonomiese ontwikkeling geassosieer kan word. sowel as 'n aanpassing wat ekonomiese doeltreffendheid verbeter. Hierdle perspektief Is die gewensde een wanneer die kwessie van die bekostigbaarheid van toenemende sosiale voorsiening in ontwikkelende lande aangespreek word. Die Suid-Afrih:aanse ondervlnding in hierdie verband verskaf verdere getuienis van toenemende kragte, oar tyd, wat groeiende staatsvoorsiening van sosiale sekuriteit (sekerheid) In die hand werk. Die ondervinding voorsien egter oak voorbeelde van hoe hierdie kragte deur spesifleke politieke instellings omvorm kan word en hoe sosiale beleid 1\an agterbly by veranderende omstandighode. Hierdie faktore het aanleiding gegee tot die huidige ongelyke toegang tot sosiale dienste, ongelyke voordele en onvoldoende dekking teen die rlsiko's wat die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie inhou. Ten spyte van die tekortkominge van die Suid-Afrik3.anse stelsel van bestaansbeveiliging en die ongelyh:heid daarin gereflehteer, kom dit voor asof fiskale en makro-ekonomiese beperkinge die moontlikhede am die stelsel te omvorm streng beperk: Hierdie beperkinge impliseer, en het aanleiding gegee tot, 'n verlaging van die voordele van die bevoorregte groepe en 'n aanpassing van die aard van voordele, veral in die rigting van goedkoper dienste met steeds hoe opbrengskoerse. Huidige eise en voorsit3ne veranderinge in die sfeer van sosiale beleid. veral ten opsigte van 'n univo3rsele sto::l3o:.l van 3osiale pensioene en spesiale werkskeppingsprogramme, dui egter op die sterkte van die kragte wat to8n8m-:mde "nasionalisering" van sosiale dienste in die hand werk. Hoe die klaarblyklike fish:ale bepalings ta versoen is met die beweerde rasionaliteit van 'n grater rol vir die Suid-Afrikaanse staat in sosiale voorsiening bly 'n vraag. Dit is nodig am die bree perspektief van hierdie studie te evalueer deur in meer detail te kyh: na spesifiek programme en spesifleke oorsah:e van 'n gebrek aan bestaanssekerheid.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

社會救濟的動，在積極的層面上，促進了社會經濟的發展，減少天災人禍 對百姓的衝擊；在消極的層面上，社會救濟施惠許多貧困不幸者，降低了 社會的矛盾與衝突，因此社會救濟是社會安定的重要因素。在天災人禍頻 仍的元代社會，貧困百姓的生活艱難，更須仰賴社會救濟的援助，予以改 善其生活。元代統治者亦深知此道理，故而推動了一連串的社會救濟措施 。筆者基於上述之旨趣，乃以元代社會救濟之研究為本文之論題。全文計 七章､十八節。第一章：緒論－－主要說明本文的動機､範圍，以及闡述 社會救濟的思想及理論，與中國歷代社會救濟的特色。第二章：元代災荒 的狀況及影響。第三章：積極性的防災措施。第四章：救濟的機構。第五 章：經常性的救濟措施。第六章：臨時性的救濟措施。第七章：結論－－ 綜論元代的社會救濟，並提出筆者個人的研究心得。

The dissertation "Social policy of the EU and its impact on czech legislation" is dealing with the problem of the European social policy, as a policy with shared competences (that means that there are shared competences - between national states and it's authorities and the EU 's authorities), and it's increasing impact on the czech legislation. This growing influence of EU's authorities and EU primary and secondary law is caused by the czech EU membership (originated in 2004). In this dissertation, there were set two main goals. First of these two aims is to find out, in whitch scale is the czech legislation influenced by European Union's law, especially in the field of social policy. The second aim is to present particular changes and modifications of czech nation law, caused by the EU secondary law - by the regulations and implemented directives. The research methods used in this dissertation were: The European primary law analysis, witch led to the findings about the scale of EU authorities competences, in sence of czech national law transformation. The second half of this dissertation used the method of comparison. There were compared two labour law codes - the labour law code number 65/1965 and labour law code number 262/2006. As we should be able to find out, which chnages brought EU primary law, and...

This thesis deals with the execution of social security benefits. The thesis is divided into six chapters, which are broken down into subsections. It also includes an introduction and a conclusion. The first chapter describes the batch system in the Czech Republic. After defining the concept of social security benefit, the principles are described in the provision of social security benefits and the breakdown of social security benefits. Furthermore, according to the systems of social security rights defined by individual social security benefits. The second section describes the types of executions. First, it discusses the judicial enforcement. In this section we describe two methods of enforcement, which by their nature are possible in execution of social security benefits. It is a payroll deductions and receivables commandments. Other subsections devoted to execution under the Enforcement Regulations, administrative execution, tax execution and parallel execution. The third chapter discusses the execution of health insurance benefits. Herein, the benefits of which can perform execution deductions from wages and benefits that can affect seizures. Further, it discusses the deviations in the implementation of deductions of health insurance benefits from the normal procedure for making payroll deductions....