social policy
bunmi04
SocialSecurity.pptSocial Security
Social Policy
Social Security
Learning outcomes in this lecture:
Know what social security means and what SS policy seeks to achieve
Have a basic understanding of the following 3 main types of income maintenance payments in Ireland
1. Social insurance payments
2. Social assistance payments
3. Universal payments
Also have a basic understanding
what is meant by:
- Fiscal welfare
- Occupational welfare
Social Security
- What is social security and what is it’s purpose?
- Social security is also referred to as:
- income maintenance
- social welfare
- social protection
- Social security
- It is about ‘ensuring security, protection and well-being in a financial sense in the face of particular needs or contingencies’ (Considine and Dukelow, 2009)
Social Security
- These contingencies inhibit the capacity of individuals or families to generate their own income and therefore threaten survival or wellbeing
- Such contingencies include unemployment, ill-health, disability, separation, caring duties or insufficient income due to low paid work
- Refers both those with low and No incomes
Social Security
- Social security is about ensuring income in the event of these circumstances
- ‘Social’ suggests that everyone in society is involved either as a contributor or a recipient
- Incomes provided through social security means that individuals are not left to rely on the market, or charity if particular circumstances arise.
- % of GDP spent on social security has been steadily rising over past 50 years
Social Security
- Social security systems are also an expression of certain values (Considine and Dukelow, 2009)
- Partially represent an expression of social justice
- Expression of social solidarity with vulnerable groups
Social Security
- Also pay-back for contributions made by workers to general taxation
- In 1948, access to social security
was considered a fundamental
human right, as proclaimed in
the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 22 and 25)
- Therefore seen as expression public morality
Social Security
- Three types of social security payments
1. Social insurance payments
2. Social assistance payments
3. Universal payments
There is also:
- Fiscal welfare
- Occupational welfare
Social Insurance Payments
- Benefits based on contributions from wages
- Payments made to workers whose circumstances have changed in ways which means that their ability to generate their own income is undermined (unemployment, sickness, retirement).
- Based on contingency
- In Ireland, this relates to PRSI contributions
Social Insurance
- Has its foundations in the National Insurance Act 1911
- Based on contributions from worker, employer and state
- Beginning of insurance based social security
- Included medical care when sick and unemployment benefit
- Recognition of the structural aspect to poverty due to unemployment
Social Insurance Payments
In Ireland :
- Jobseekers Benefit
- Based on PRSI contributions
- better conditions than jobseekers allowance
- State Pension (contributory)
- Based on PRSI contributions
- More generous payment than state pension
Social Insurance Payments
- Jobseeker's Benefit
- Illness Benefit
- Maternity Benefit
- Adoptive Benefit
- Health and Safety Benefit
- Invalidity Pension
- Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension
- Guardian's Payment (Contributory)
- State Pension (Contributory)
- State Pension (Transition)
- Bereavement Grant
- Treatment Benefit
- Occupational Injuries Benefit
- Carer's Benefit
Social Assistance
- Eligibility is decided on the basis of need.
- E.g. old age, disability, unemployment
- A means test is necessary to determine need (different to social insurance)
- Payments are funded through general taxation (different to social insurance)
- Payments tend not to be as generous as social insurance payments
Social Assistance
Ireland:
- Jobseekers allowance
- means tested; funded through general taxation
- State Pension (non-contributory)
- Not as generous as State Pension (contributory)
Social Assistance
- obseeker's Allowance is paid to people aged 18 or over and unemployed.
- Pre-Retirement Allowance (PRETA) is paid to people aged 55 and over who have left the labour force.
- Farm Assist is an income support scheme for farmers. You do not need to be available for work in order to qualify for Farm Assist.
- Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension is paid to widows, widowers and surviving civil partners who do not have dependent children.
Social Assistance
- Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory) is paid to the child's guardian up to the child's 18th birthday or 22nd birthday if he or she is in full-time education.
- Carer's Allowance is paid to people who are looking after someone who is in need of full-time care and attention because of age, physical or learning disability or illness, including mental illness.
- Supplementary Welfare Allowance is paid to people that have no little or no income.
- State Pension (Non-Contributory) is paid to people when they reach 66 years of age.
- Blind Pension is paid to blind and visually impaired people normally living.
Social Assistance
- Disability Allowance is paid to people with a disability that are aged 16 or over and under age 66.
- Deserted Wife's Allowance is paid to women who were deserted by their husband and have no dependent children. This scheme was closed off to new applications in January 1997.
- One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) is paid to men and women who are bringing children up without the support of a partner.
Universal payments
- Payments available to all regardless of means
- In Ireland – e.g. child benefit (children’s allowance)
- Often seen as means of preventing poverty as opposed to alleviating poverty
- A form of social security which is…
- ….‘seen primarily as an individual social right, with entitlement exclusively dependent upon citizenship’ (Ploug and Kvist, 1996)
Universal payments
- Overcome’s the problem of stigmatisation
- Nordic countries place a heavy emphasis on universal benefits
- A relatively high level of welfare payments in Nordic countries tend to be universal
- Expensive to fund – based on high levels of employment
Fiscal Welfare
- Fiscal Welfare primarily refers to tax relief on welfare related goods.
- E.g. tax relief on pension contributions, or on private health insurance.
- This effectively results in a monetary transfer for welfare purposes and is therefore considered a welfare benefit.
Fiscal Welfare
- In Ireland is it possible to get money back at the end of each year via tax rebates for:
- Dental treatment
- Medical treatment
- College Fees
- Rent
- Private pension payments
Fiscal Welfare
Things to consider:
- Why does the government reward people with tax rebates for the purchase of certain welfare related goods?
- Which groups in society benefit most from these tax rebates?
- Are these tax rebates a good thing?
Occupational Welfare
- Occupational Welfare primarily refers to benefits in cash or in kind provided by employers
- For example employers may offer private health care to employees
- Some employers may offer dental plans
- Some employers may offer maternity payment
- Some employers offer pensions plans
- Tends to benefit high earners as these ‘perks’ tend to be aimed at attracting senior management
