Review article
https://doi.org/10.3935/rsp.v15i3.796
Social Security and Quality of Life of Elderly Persons without Pensions in the Republic of Croatia
Zoran Šućur
; Studijski centar socijalnog rada, Pravni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Abstract
The aims of the paper are to: 1) estimate the number of elderly persons who do not receive pensions, 2) analyse their social, demographic and family characteristics, 3) analyse and compare some indicators of the quality of life of elderly persons without pensions to the indicators of the quality of life of elderly retired persons, 4) analyse the structure of income and the role of the social welfare transfers in the households in which elderly persons who do not receive pensions live, and 5) discuss the models of social protection for elderly persons without pensions. The source of the data was the European Research on Quality of Life, conducted in Croatia by the UNDP in 2006. For the purposes of this paper, a representative sub-sample of persons over the age of 64 was singled out (1,661 respondent). According to estimates, 12.4% of elderly persons in Croatia do not receive pensions. Over 95% of all elderly persons without pensions are women. The median of the equivalent household income of elderly persons without pensions is twice lower than the median of the household income of elderly retired persons. Also, elderly persons without pensions generally have poorer indicators of the quality of life than the elderly pensioners. Elderly persons without pensions who live in single households are in the most unfavourable economic position. These are the persons who most frequently receive social assistance. Advantages and disadvantages of social pensions and social assistance as an alternative in social protection of elderly population without pensions are analysed. Social pensions in Croatia based on the means testing are more acceptable from the fiscal and political standpoint than universal social pensions.
Keywords
elderly persons without pensions; social assistance; social pension; social security of elderly persons; quality of life of elderly persons; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
30381
URI
Publication date:
16.11.2008.
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