INVESTIGADORES
ARZA Camila
capítulos de libros
Título:
Basic pensions in Latin America: Towards a rights-based policy?
Autor/es:
ARZA, CAMILA
Libro:
Citizen's income and welfare regimes in Latin America. From cash transfers to rights
Editorial:
Palgrave
Referencias:
Año: 2013; p. 87 - 112
Resumen:
In Latin America, the consolidation and expansion of social security under employment-related and contributory models has often ruled out the development of alternative pension schemes, organized under non-contributory, universal, and unconditional principles. Non-contributory pensions (if existing at all) often remained a residual social assistance program oriented only to assist the poorest. Recent developments, however, point to a redirection of pension policy in some countries that have adopted measures to extend coverage through non-contributory or semi-contributory pension systems. This development has produced a significant expansion of old-age protection. It has also brought in policy debates confronting the impacts of selective or universalistic designs for pensions. This chapter focuses on the experience of four countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Chile, which despite a tradition of pension systems based on the contributory model and high levels of labor market informality, have managed to achieve some of the highest levels of pension coverage in the region. This was possible with the implementation (or expansion) of alternative pension schemes or programs that provided old-age benefits with no contributory requirements, or with more limited contributory requirements than in traditional Bismarckian systems. Does this process signal a move toward a universalistic approach to old-age protection? To what extent do the schemes implemented comply with the principles of universality and unconditionality that characterize the Citizen?s Income (CI) proposal? Have they changed the structure of old-age income protection to create more inclusive and equitable pension regimes? These are some of the issues that this chapter addresses.