Sustainable Social Security. WP CSDLE “Massimo D’Antona”.INT – 145/2018

Treu, Tiziano (2018) Sustainable Social Security. WP CSDLE “Massimo D’Antona”.INT – 145/2018. [Working Paper]

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Abstract

The questions posed to our discussion on sustainable social security touch on fundamental principles of the welfare systems. Sustainability is a multidimensional concept which requires to be analysed with an integrated approach by different disciplines. This interdisciplinary exercise is not usual in many field of studies and has a difficult testing ground in a highly complex and controversial area like social security. Even more so because this analysis have a merely intellectual objective, but must be finalized to promoting policy integration among the different areas of social security and among the various components: the sources of the financing the costs of organization and of delivery, the mechanism of adjustement between contributions and benefits etc. Moreover such an approach is necessary to understand the two major aspects of sustainably: financial and social. A further dimension must be considered, even if is not the focus of this paper: namely political sustainability, i.e. the possibility of the national institutions to regulate and reform their social security systems, overcoming the obstacles and the resistance of (their) public opinions and of organized interest groups. The ageing of population is a major factor influencing political decisions in this areas; particularly the choices affecting social security, beginning with pensions systems. The implications of these choices for the fundamental principles of our social model are particularly wideranging when one considers not only financial but also social substainability : because, as I will try to show, social adequacy implies various quantitative and qualitative aspects of monetary and service provisions of the social security system.

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