Cette thèse étudie les pensions de réversion en France en mettant l’accent sur la dimension patrimoniale « implicite» des droits à la retraite. En effet, les droits à pensions constituent une composante de la « richesse »des assurés, appréhendée comme une épargne « implicite » encore appelée équivalent patrimonial des droits à la retraite (EPDR). Après avoir analysé, dans le chapitre 1, la grande diversité des règles d’ouverture et de service de la pension de réversion entre les régimes, ainsi que les différentes logiques sous-jacentes des pensions de réversion entre secteur privé et secteur public, nous montrons, dans le chapitre 2, que l’EPDR évalué est plus important, en moyenne, dans les régimes du secteur public en raison des qualifications plus importantes des conjoints défunts dans ces régimes et des conditions de liquidation des retraites plus avantageuses. Par ailleurs,l’inégalité dans la distribution de cette « richesse de pensions » est moindre que celle généralement observée sur le patrimoine réel des ménages, mais se décompose de manière différente selon l’ancien secteur d’activité du conjoint défunt. Aussi, plusieurs facteurs, autres que la pension de réversion, expliqueraient le niveau de l’EPDR. L’analyse, dans le chapitre 3, de l’impact sur l’EPDR de l’augmentation de la durée d’assurance lors des réformes de 1993 et de 2003 montre une réduction significative de l’EPDR des pensionné(e)s dont le conjoint défunt avait validé au moins 60 trimestres de cotisation, mais était touché par la mesure. Enfin, dans le chapitre 4, nous montrons que les dispositifs de réversion permettent en moyenne aux veuves et aux veufs de maintenir leur niveau de vie antérieur au décès de leur conjoint, avec toutefois des nuances selon que le défunt était ancien cadre du privé, ancien non cadre du privé ou ancien fonctionnaire civil d’État. / This thesis examines survivors’ pensions in France by focusing on the implicit patrimonial dimension of pension rights. Indeed, pension rights are a component of the wealth of insured persons, considered as an implicit saving also called Pension wealth (PW). After examining in Chapter 1 the wide heterogeneity of rules governing the openness and service of survivors’ pensions between schemes, as well as the logic underlying survivors’ pensions between the private and public sectors, we show, in Chapter 2, that calculated Pension wealth is higher on average in public sector schemes due to the higher qualifications of the spouses deceased in these schemes and the more favorable retirement benefit conditions. Moreover, inequality in the distribution of Pension wealth is smaller than that generally observed on the real wealth of households, but Pension wealth is distributed differently according to the previous sector of activity of the deceased spouse. On the other hand, several factors, other than the survivor’s pension, would explain the level of Pension wealth. In Chapter 3, we show that the increase in the duration of insurance caused by the 1993 and 2003 reforms has significantly reduced Pension wealth for derived pensioners right whose deceased spouse had validated at least 60 quarters of contribution, but was affected by thoses measures.Finally, in Chapter 4, we show that survivors’ schemes on average allow widows and widowers to maintain their standard of living prior to the death of their spouses, although there are differences depending on whether the deceased was a private sector executive, a non-executive wage earner or a civil servant of the State.

Doctor of Philosophy(PhD) / Retirement income policy in Australia has undergone significant changes over the last two decades, including the introduction of the Superannuation Guarantee [SG] with mandatory contributions in 1992 and the 2007 superannuation changes with the benefit tax abolition. Numerical implications of adopted pension reforms and reform proposals such as further increases in the SG contribution rate, changes to superannuation taxation and to means-testing of the age pension have been examined mainly by micro-simulation models. These models, often criticized for their lack of theoretical content, provide an incomplete picture of pension policy effects because of no or limited behavioural responses to underlying policy changes. In this thesis, models based on the life-cycle theory of saving pioneered by Modigliani and Brumberg (1954) are applied to simulate behavioural, welfare and macroeconomics effects of proposed changes to Australia’s pension policy. In particular, this thesis develops the following computable models: a life-cycle, single household model, a partial equilibrium, household model and a general equilibrium model with overlapping generations [OLG]. The single household model describes lifetime behaviour of the utility-maximising single household with uncertain lifespan. The model features perfect capital markets, endogenous labour supply and retirement decisions, and it incorporates main aspects of Australia’s pension and income tax policy settings. The simulated policy changes are (i) increase in the SG contribution rate, (ii) superannuation tax changes and (iii) abolition of the age pension means test. The results indicate higher retirement consumption and welfare gains from all the analysed pension policy changes. Partial equilibrium and general equilibrium models introduced in this thesis are built on lifetime behaviour of the single household. Both models distinguish many generations of households by age and, therefore, are capable of studying behavioural and welfare effects of policy changes for different generations. The partial equilibrium model examines behaviour of the household sector in the environment of the fixed factor prices. It is shown, for instance, that welfare gains from the investigated pension policy changes are not uniformly distributed across generations. The general equilibrium OLG model extends the partial equilibrium analyses by incorporating production, government and foreign sectors in addition to household and pension sectors. The model is a small open economy version of Auerbach and Kotlikoff’s (1987) OLG model. The simulation results are significantly different from those in the partial equilibrium framework, driven mainly by the changes in aggregate labour supply. For instance, the higher SG rate policy increases aggregate assets and saving. However, the saving increases are exported abroad rather than invested in the domestic capital stock. Hence, the implications of this policy change for the capital stock and output are minimal. Younger cohorts and future born generations experience consumption and welfare gains but older cohorts are negatively affected by a higher consumption tax rate resulting from this hypothetical policy change.

The aim of this study is to examine what effects the pension reforms of 1935 and 1946 had on the poor relief rates of old age pensioners, in Sweden between the years 1930 and 1950. Unlike earlierstudies the focus is on how different groups of pensioners were affected. Salonens theoreticalframework on subsistence is used, which states that an individuals subsistence is based on incomesand expenditures in relation to the market, the family and the state. Both quantitative and qualitativemethods are used. By studying governmental investigations, the study finds that the purpose of thereform of 1935 was to favor women and the urban elders, while the favored groups by the reform of1946 were the urban elders as well as elders in one person households. The 1935 reform did notaffect the favored groups notably since the pensions were too small. The larger pensions of 1946however did substantially even out the poor relief rates between different elders. After theimplementation in 1948 the difference in poor relief rates between different elders was almost nonexistent. This was due to a substantially larger drop in the poor relief rates of the urban elders aswell as amongst elders in one person households. By studying different incomes of old agepensioners, the study finds that the pensioners with the greatest need of the 1946 years largerpensions were the urban men, the rural women, as well as the one person households in both ruraland urban areas. In conclusion this study finds that the reform of 1935 was unsuccessful insupporting the more vulnerable elders, while the reform of 1946 was successful in that matter.

The pension system is an important part of social policy and public budget. Negative demographic development put pressure on the financial sustainability of the pension system therefore political establishment are forced to implement reform measures. The aim of the thesis will be to analyze the pension system of the Czech Republic between 2010 and 2016 and on the basis of this analysis to propose measures for its improvements. In the theoretical part the thesis will examine the social policy and issues of pension systems. At the same time it will pay attention to the international institutions and their proposals. In the practical part the thesis will be focused on demographic development which is a fundamental factor of the long-term stability of the pension system. It will analyze the changes in the pension system in the period under review. The conclusion of the thesis will show the possible ways to improve the stability of the pension system.

<p>This thesis deals with a very important issue in South African society, i.e. the provision of financial and non-cash support to older persons. Older persons in South Africa can be described as a sizeable but vulnerable group requiring specific protection. Section 27 of the South African Constitution of 1996 obliges the state to take reasonable legislative and other measures within available resources to progressively realise the right of access to social security. Hence, the steps taken by the state to promote older persons&rsquo / right of access to social security and to protect their right to dignity need to be evaluated. The legislative framework for the provision of financial and non-cash support to older persons currently is fragmented into various statutes dealing with retirement income, state grants to older persons and care and support services for older persons. Therefore, the current legislation lacks an integrated approach to the provision of support and care to older persons, as well as a central principle on which to base future legislation concerning older persons. One such principle that could potentially be adopted is intergenerational solidarity, which can be described as the solidarity between the active working-age population, as one generation, from which benefits flow to older persons as the other. This thesis evaluates whether intergenerational solidarity should form the basis of South African legislation on the provision of retirement income and the provision of care and support to older persons, and if so, whether it in fact does. If the answer to the latter is in the negative, the thesis further examines whether the current process to reform the retirement income system and related legislation in South Africa would be a suitable platform to introduce the concept of intergenerational solidarity to legislation concerning older persons.</p>

Since 1990s, there was increasing evidence that pension systems have been restructured across Europe and in Turkey. This thesis aims to analyse the outcomes of the pension reform in Turkey in the light of the pension reforms, realized in the European countries. Theoretically, the thesis also attempts to reevaluate institutionalist approach that is dominant approach within the study of pension systems. The main argument of the thesis is that pension systems both across Europe and in Turkey have been restructured since 1990s in accordance with the neo-liberal policies. In both contexts, it is underlined that the target of the reform is to privatize and individualize the pension systems. Change from PAYGO to funded scheme, shift towards multi-tiered model, reduction of the scope and coverage of public pension scheme and shifting of risks from public to individuals form the common characteristics of pension reforms across Europe and in Turkey.

<p>This thesis deals with a very important issue in South African society, i.e. the provision of financial and non-cash support to older persons. Older persons in South Africa can be described as a sizeable but vulnerable group requiring specific protection. Section 27 of the South African Constitution of 1996 obliges the state to take reasonable legislative and other measures within available resources to progressively realise the right of access to social security. Hence, the steps taken by the state to promote older persons&rsquo / right of access to social security and to protect their right to dignity need to be evaluated. The legislative framework for the provision of financial and non-cash support to older persons currently is fragmented into various statutes dealing with retirement income, state grants to older persons and care and support services for older persons. Therefore, the current legislation lacks an integrated approach to the provision of support and care to older persons, as well as a central principle on which to base future legislation concerning older persons. One such principle that could potentially be adopted is intergenerational solidarity, which can be described as the solidarity between the active working-age population, as one generation, from which benefits flow to older persons as the other. This thesis evaluates whether intergenerational solidarity should form the basis of South African legislation on the provision of retirement income and the provision of care and support to older persons, and if so, whether it in fact does. If the answer to the latter is in the negative, the thesis further examines whether the current process to reform the retirement income system and related legislation in South Africa would be a suitable platform to introduce the concept of intergenerational solidarity to legislation concerning older persons.</p>

Doctor Legum - LLD / This thesis deals with a very important issue in South African society, i.e. the provision of financial and non-cash support to older persons. Older persons in South Africa can be described as a sizeable but vulnerable group requiring specific protection. Section 27 of the South African Constitution of 1996 obliges the state to take reasonable legislative and other measures within available resources to progressively realise the right of access to social security. Hence, the steps taken by the state to promote older persons&rsquo; right of access to social security and to protect their right to dignity need to be evaluated. The legislative framework for the provision of financial and non-cash support to older persons currently is fragmented into various statutes dealing with retirement income, state grants to older persons and care and support services for older persons. Therefore, the current legislation lacks an integrated approach to the provision of support and care to older persons, as well as a central principle on which to base future legislation concerning older persons. One such principle that could potentially be adopted is intergenerational solidarity, which can be described as the solidarity between the active working-age population, as one generation, from which benefits flow to older persons as the other. This thesis evaluates whether intergenerational solidarity should form the basis of South African legislation on the provision of retirement income and the provision of care and support to older persons, and if so, whether it in fact does. If the answer to the latter is in the negative, the thesis further examines whether the current process to reform the retirement income system and related legislation in South Africa would be a suitable platform to introduce the concept of intergenerational solidarity to legislation concerning older persons. / South Africa

The thesis deals with the Cuban system of social security. The work focuses on general operation of social systems in Latin America and compares them with the Cuban social system. Thus, the thesis aims to explore the system of social security in Cuba, to describe its advantages and disadvantages and to show why the system is sometimes considered as more effective then other systems in this region. Attention has also been paid to the ageing of the population and how Cuba deals with this problem.

La thèse cherche à travers des critères économiques, sociaux et financiers à définir pour laFrance un système de retraite optimal. Elle procède à l’analyse critique de l’ensemble desréformes entreprises depuis la parution du Livre Blanc sur les retraites (1991), et engage despistes de mesures complémentaires pour les améliorer. Elle s’articule autour de deux idéesprincipales : d’une part, les principales réformes (Balladur, 1993 et Fillon, 2003) sont d’ordreparamétrique et entendent préserver la logique de solidarité intergénérationnelle ; d’autre part,sous certaines conditions, elles peuvent être améliorées par l’adjonction de mesuresstructurelles sous forme d’introduction d’une dose de capitalisation obligatoire.L’argumentation s’appuie à la fois sur une réflexion théorique, fondée notamment sur lesmodèles à générations imbriquées, la notion de taxe sur la poursuite d’activité aux âgesavancés, et sur une étude empirique internationale mesurant l’impact d’une capitalisationsupplémentaire sur l’épargne nationale. Globalement, l’objectif de la thèse est de montrerl’existence de deux dilemmes auxquels font face les pouvoirs publics dans la recherche desolutions à la crise des retraites: (1) garder le système de retraite actuel qui offre peud’incitations à la poursuite de toute activité professionnelle aux âges avancés ou aller versplus d’individualisation des droits au risque de sacrifier la solidarité intergénérationnelle ; (2)quelle dose, quelle(s) forme(s) et quelle réglementation de la capitalisation qui permettentd’augmenter l’épargne nationale au lieu de la réduire ? / This dissertation tries to define an optimal retirement system for France based on economic,social and financial criteria. It reviews the reforms that have been undertaken since thepublication of the Livre Blanc sur les retraites in 1991, and highlights additional measuresthat could be implemented to enhance these reforms. The dissertation is structured around twomain ideas: on the one hand, the main reforms (Balladur, 1993 and Fillon, 2003) are ofparametric nature and intend to preserve intergenerational solidarity; on the other hand, undercertain conditions, they can be improved by incorporating a funded system. The analysis relyon both a theoretical framework, notably overlapping generations models, and anempirical approach to assess the impact of additional capitalization on national saving.Overall, the dissertation aims to show that the authorities face two main dilemma whendealing with the retirement crisis: (1) keep the current retirement system, which does notencourage the elderly to remain in the workforce, or move toward a funded system at the riskof giving up intergenerational solidarity; (2) what dose, forms and regulations of fundingcould stimulate national savings?