scholarly journals THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF FINANCING SOCIAL PROTECTION IN LATVIA

Author(s):  
Feliciana Rajevska

INTRODUCTION Public social protection spending in Latvia amounted to 15.2% of GDP in 2016. Financing social protection in terms of PPS per inhabitant was  only 35% of the average amount in the EU-28 in 2016. The explanation for such a permanently low level of social protection funding is not only a modest level of economic development, but traditionally a low priority of social spending in Latvian politics. The analysis of changes in the financing level of social protection, the changes in the main sources of social protection, the impact of past reforms is in focus. The wide variety in financing structures of social protection systems across Europe and the different levels of financing provides an opportunity to better  understand the specifics in  Latvia and its mixture of sources of financing social protection system. METHODS The author uses data from ESSPROS, the State Social Insurance Agency, the Ministry of Welfare for 2005-2017 for Latvia and the EU28 and is doing analysis of secondary statistical data, public policy documents, analysis of legislative acts and Cabinet Regulations from 2005-2018. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS The social insurance schemes are based on the pay-as-you-go principle and the distribution is achieved between the present contributors and the present recipients, at the same time the benefit amount is closely linked to the contributions paid by a certain individual. Such a system creates proper work incentives, albeit requires  significant resources for its administration. The State Social Insurance Agency showed an excellent performance in dealing with this  task. Latvia’s experience with the micro-enterprise tax regime demonstrated the pitfalls of an over-simplified approach to taxation, when the measure, aimed at combating unemployment, became a tax evasion trick at the cost of the workers’ social security. The strong side of the existing model of financing social protection is its ability to maintain a positive balance even in the background of a very turbulent environment. The sustainability of the social insurance budget has always been and remains a top priority for policy-makers. Social contributions play the leading role in the existing mix of financing social protection. The share of old-age function benefits is higher than the EU28 average. The expenditures on some functions grew faster: spending on disability benefits increased by 99%, on unemployment by 75%, on old-age and family benefits by 64%. The last decade demonstrated a trend to an increasing role of the general government contributions. The social contribution rates are already quite high (35.09% in 2018) and can hardly be increased, otherwise labour costs might become uncompetitive. Therefore, a further increase of general government contributions seems unavoidable. CONCLUSIONS Trends in reforms and policy changes were diverse and even contradictory: cost saving, support of specific target groups, reallocating funds in financial flows, an increase of the pension age. A number of policy adjustments were based on the lessons learned during the crisis. Means-tested benefits are thinly represented in the Latvian social security system, and the thresholds used for their calculation are inadequately low. The Latvian healthcare system is chronically underfinanced. It also has a high ratio of out-of-pocket co-financing by patients. Austerity measures had a strong influence on social protection expenditures from 2009–2014. Among the weaknesses of the social insurance schemes, one should mention the inadequately low minimum levels of benefits, especially as concerns old-age pensions. Low wage earners might have a disincentive to diligently pay the contributions, seeing that even the average old-age pension is lower than the at-risk-of-poverty threshold.

Author(s):  
Yuliia Nakonechna ◽  
Anastasia Rybalka

Relevance of the research topic. The development and improvement of the financial system of Ukraine is hindered by the low social responsibility of the state, society, and business. The modern transformation of principles and approaches to the determination of socially important social standards and the sources of their financing requires a deep theoretical understanding of the problems of social security of the population, therefore, the study of the issue of financing social guarantees by the state is timely and relevant. Formulation of the problem. Social guarantees are those essential elements in the functioning of the state, determine the stability of society and its security, and affect the implementation of the social and economic policies of the government. It is this element that should ensure the guarantee of a decent standard and quality of life for every citizen, and, consequently, a high level of well-being of the population as a whole. Analysis of recent research and publications. The role and essence of social guarantees in the fulfillment of the social function of the state has been thoroughly investigated in many scientific works of modern economists. A separate issue of financial support of social guarantees is the work of О. D. Vasilik,S. H. Batazhok, V. M. Grineva, V. P. Gorina, D. I. Sukhovиy, N. D. Hlazko, L. V. Lysyak, V. M. Oparin, V. B. Tropinа, V. M. Fedosov and others. Highlighting unexplored parts of a common problem. The question of ways to overcome the contradiction between the real needs of citizens receiving social support of the state and those financial opportunities (resources) of the state with which it can provide these needs of the population remains insufficiently studied. Setting goals, research objectives. The purpose of the article is to identify contemporary problems of financing state social guarantees in Ukraine. The goal determines the need to solve the following tasks: to analyze the nature, types of social guarantees, evaluate budget indicators of social security of citizens, identify obstacles and necessary steps towards the implementation of a full-fledged mechanism of financial guarantees of social protection of the population. Method or methodology of the study. When writing the article, a set of scientific research methods was used: general scientific and special methods, in particular, system-structural analysis and synthesis, the method of statistical analysis, comparison, generalization, as well as graphical and tabular methods to clearly illustrate the phenomena studied and the like. Statement of the main material (results of work). The article reveals the essence of state social guarantees as a system of financial support of an adequate standard of living of an individual. Priority tasks for ensuring the functioning in Ukraine of an effective financial mechanism for providing social guarantees to the population are highlighted. The article states that most of the financing of social guarantees is based on the expenses of the state budget and local budgets. The basic standard on the basis of which the calculation of the volume of social guarantees and benefits aimed at social protection and social security is carried out is the cost of living. An important source of financial support for social guarantees are social non-budget funds, which include the Pension Fund of Ukraine, the Social Insurance Fund and the Compulsory State Social Insurance Fund for Unemployment. The financial resources accumulated in them are directed to the material support of a significant part of the citizens of the state who are participants in the system of national pension and social insurance and are designed to overcome the consequences of social insurance events. Scope of the results. The theoretical provisions, conclusions and suggestions presented in the article, developed on the basis of the analysis of indicators of state financial support of social guarantees, develop the theory and practice of the policy of financing social guarantees in the country, allow us to identify ways and directions for improving it to achieve social protection and increase the welfare of the population. Conclusions and results can be used in planning social expenditures of the government, in socio-economic research of scientific analytical centers, in the educational process of economic faculties of higher educational institutions. Conclusions are consistent with the article. State social guarantees play an important role in the functioning of the state, because through the system of social guarantees the state affects the redistribution of GDP, under their influence indicators of financing various social programs are formed, which determines the directions and priorities of state policy. Based on the results of the study, it was concluded that it is necessary to draw up and publish a “social” budget - a product of public dialogue between state and non-state financial institutions, employers, independent authoritative economists, and public organizations, which will contribute to the development of civil society in a socially oriented country.


ARGOMENTI ◽  
2009 ◽  
pp. 31-58
Author(s):  
Marco Accorinti ◽  
Paolo Calza Bini

- Within the research project Overcoming the barriers and seizing the opportunities for Active Ageing Policies in Europe, the Italian part being carried out by the IRPPS-CNR, there has been an in-depth study of the dynamics regarding population ageing and the social security system in Italy, in the light of the notion of activation - one of the main inspiring criteria of the European Employment Strategy. The paper presents comparative European research work that has highlighted the need to deal with the old age - social security link through an integrated group of diversified policies that consider above all employment policies, life schedules and social protection. The text furthermore presents nine European experiments of gradual retirement.Keywords: Senior citizen workers, Social security, Welfare, Leave. Parole Chiave: Lavoratori Anziani, Previdenza, Welfare, Aspettative.


2000 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHACK KIE WONG ◽  
NAN SHONG PETER LEE

The paper starts with a brief discussion of recent developments of economic restructuring of the State Owned Enterprises in China and their related reforms in social insurance and social assistance. It then reports the findings of an attitude survey of residents in Shanghai in 1996 towards the social and economic consequences of economic reform. It reveals that, despite the fact that most people feel better off with the reforms, there is still a need for the state to play a role in social protection.


Author(s):  
Oleh Dzoba ◽  
Nataliia Stavnycha

Summary the article has analyzed the existing scientific and methodological approaches to assessing the level of social security of the state. It was revealed that they differ because: scientists include various components that form social security; they use various indicators and calculation methods; have various aspects of both generalization and practical direction. It was revealed that most often the components of social security include: safety of life, health, social protection and aspects of social and labor relations. The methods that are most often used in calculating the level of social security were considered. It was proved that in assessment, the selection of indicators that pose a threat, is the difficult task. It was revealed that there is no legally approved methodology for assessing the social security of the state. The use of various social security assessment methodologies was analyzed. Emphasis was placed on the selection of indicators used in these techniques. It was concluded that for assessing the social security of the state, an integral indicator is used most often. At the same time, scientists prefer their own set of indicators. The author’s definition of «social security» was presented, which allowed the formation of four components of the state’s social security (life, poverty, health and education). It was established that the choice of indicators for assessing the social security of the state should cover a retrospective period and should be based on both reporting and calculated data. A hierarchical model of an integral indicator of state social security was proposed. There was defined a set of indicators for each of proposed component. The following algorithm has been proposed for assessing the integral indicator of state social security: the formation of the components of social security and the definition of indicative indicators for each of the components; formation of a database; determination of an integral indicator; determining the influence of each component on the change in the integral indicator; interpretation of indicators; determining the sustainability of hazardous trends.


Author(s):  
Ana Rita Ferreira ◽  
Daniel Carolo ◽  
Mariana Trigo Pereira ◽  
Pedro Adão e Silva

This article discusses the ways in which the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic has embodied to the political choices made during the process of creating and defining a democratic welfare state and how the various constitutional principles are reflected in the architecture of the system and have gradually changed over the years. The authors argue that when Portugal transitioned to democracy, unlike other areas of the country’s social policies the social security system retained some of its earlier organising principles. Having said this, this resilience on the part of the Portuguese system’s Bismarckian template has not prevented social protection from expanding here in accordance with universal principles, and has given successive governments manoeuvring room in which to define programmatically distinct policies and implement differentiated reformist strategies. The paper concludes by arguing that while the Constitution has not placed an insurmountable limit on governments’ political action, it has served as a point of veto, namely by means of the way in which the Constitutional Court has defended the right to social protection, be it in the form of social insurance, be it in the imposition of certain social minima.


2020 ◽  
pp. 95-106
Author(s):  
Halyna KULYNA ◽  
Nataliya NALUKOVA

Introduction. In the conditions of digital society formation, the informatization of the social security sphere is a necessary component and guarantee of successful implementation of social policy aimed at quality and timely satisfaction of citizens' needs. Therefore, a prerequisite for the effective functioning of social protection and public service authorities is the development and technical innovation of social services and channels for their implementation through automated information systems, should be consistent with the innovation strategy of development of the social sphere as a composite digital economy of the state. Purpose is to substantiate the expediency of application of the newest digital technologies in the sphere of social security and novelization of social services on this basis, as well as to reveal features and advantages of social protection of the population through automated information systems and channels of their implementation. Results. The necessity and role of informatization in the modern digital society and the main challenges that lead to its implementation in the field of social security have been substantiated. The key automated information systems, which contribute to the construction of a common information space of the social sphere and allow to increase social protection of the population in domestic conditions, as well as the emergence of a new service-oriented social service with a wide range of information and communication services, have been analyzed. The necessity of training and retraining of highly qualified creative specialists of new specialties was noted and generalized principles of systems of skills development in the conditions of informatization, which are important in the selection of social workers, were defined. Conclusions. Social protection and social welfare institutions, when formulating their own strategies, should consider the information and communications technology vector of development as an essential means of improving their functioning, since this will determine the effectiveness of social policy implementation in the State and the level of satisfaction of citizens with social services. The results of informatization of social processes are manifested in the implementation of automated information systems and the construction of a single unified information space of social security, the development of new service products, electronic filing of documentation and simplification of procedures for obtaining social security, transparency of social security and, as a result, successful social policy.


1936 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 455-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph P. Harris

The Federal Social Security Act, which may be regarded as the central core of the social security program, is an omnibus act, containing the following features: (1) a national, compulsory oldage insurance plan, covering all employees except certain exempted groups; (2) two measures designed to stimulate the states to enact state unemployment compensation laws, namely, (a) a uniform nation-wide tax upon employers, against which a credit is allowable for contributions made to approved state unemployment compensation plans, and (b) subsidies to the states to cover the administrative costs of unemployment compensation; and (3) grants-in-aid to the states for old-age assistance, pensions for the blind, aid to dependent children, child welfare, maternal and child health, vocational rehabilitation, and public health activities. It is estimated that each of the two forms of social insurance will apply to about 25,000,000 wage-earners, and, when the maximum rates become effective in 1949, will involve annual contributions of nearly $3,000,000,000. This amount is approximately equal to the normal annual expenditure of the federal government prior to 1930. In addition, the grants-in-aid to the states were estimated by the actuaries of the President's Committee on Economic Security to reach a total of a half-billion dollars annually within a few years.History of the Federal ActWhen, in a message to Congress on June 8, 1934, the President indicated that he would submit a program of social insurance for consideration at the following session, the Wagner-Lewis unemployment insurance bill and the Dill-Connery old-age assistance bill were pending. Shortly afterwards, the President, by executive order, created the Committee on Economic Security, consisting of the Secretaries of Labor (chairman), Treasury, and Agriculture, the Attorney-General, and the Federal Emergency Relief Administrator. This committee appointed Professor Edwin E. Witte, of the University of Wisconsin, as executive director, and proceeded to build up a staff of actuaries and experts to study the whole problem of economic insecurity, and to prepare recommendations.


Author(s):  
Cybelle Fox

This chapter focuses on the Social Security Act and the disparate treatment of blacks, Mexicans, and European immigrants in the administration of Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, Aid to Dependent Children, and Old Age Assistance. Though framed as legislation that would help the “average citizen,” scholars have shown that the Social Security Act in fact excluded the vast majority of blacks from the most generous social insurance programs, relegating them to meager, decentralized, and demeaning means-tested programs. European immigrants, by contrast, benefited from many of the provisions of the Social Security Act, and in at least some respects, they benefited more than even native-born whites. The net result of these policies was that blacks were disproportionately shunted into categorical assistance programs with low benefit levels, European immigrants were disproportionately covered under social insurance regardless of citizenship, and Mexicans were often shut out altogether.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (6 (344)) ◽  
pp. 103-110
Author(s):  
Inna Syomkina ◽  
◽  
Natalia Shabaeva ◽  

The scientific article reveals the formation of the Ukrainian system of social protection (historical aspect). The main stages of development of social policy in Ukraine, from the first origins to the key principles of modern social policy are described. The desire of the Ukrainian authorities to renounce the paternalistic role and alimony is emphasized. Priorities for activities in the social sphere have been identified: guaranteeing social rights, increasing the effectiveness of social programs, assistance to vulnerable groups (large and low-income families, servicemen, people with special needs, victims of violence, etc.). The general scheme of the social protection system in Ukraine is presented, which consists of two main parts: compulsory state social insurance, which is formed through the contributions of employers and working citizens to the relevant social insurance funds; system of social support (assistance, benefits, subsidies, social services), which is mainly formed by taxation and financed from the state budget. Further ways of scientific research are outlined (content and principles of realization of the state social programs on support of vulnerable segments of the population).


The relevance of the study is determined by theoretical definition of the essence and specification of the components of the subsystems of public finances, which allowed us reveal the need for studying the role of household finance in public finances, which have a direct connection with the state budget, local budgets and funds of social importance. As a subject of public finance, households, through participation in the formation and use of public finance, can influence the stability of this category. Analysing profitable part of the state budget, namely stake of payments from the profits of householders in a budget, and considering their personal interest in a social sphere, it was their public interest that unites interests of the state and private is certain. Due to the fact that almost a third of the expenditures of the consolidated budget is allocated for social protection and security, and one of the public finance subsystems is fully owned by non-state social funds, financial flows that are defined and guaranteed by the state for all citizens and personify public interests were considered. The analysis of the expenditures of the state and local budgets determined that the expenses on the social protection of pensioners and the social protection of the family, children and young people are of the greatest interest, and they are directly related to the finances of households. Using the indicator of the stability of public finances, articles on social protection were examined, and it was determined which areas could adversely affect the sustainability of public finances. Social protection of the retired people refers to the area with a negative impact on public finances. The obtained results require further studies of the relationship of the social sphere with household finance, which will make it possible to determine the instruments of influence and regulation in the sphere of public finances.


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