Cash Transfers and the Well‐being of Older People in Brazil |
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| Authors: | Peter Lloyd‐Sherlock João Saboia Baruch Ramírez‐Rodríguez |
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| Institution: | 1. (School of International Development, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK;2. e‐mail: P.lloyd‐sherlock@uea.ac.uk) is a senior research fellow with the Department of International Development. His current research includes an ESRC‐funded study of the economic and social effects of dementia and care dependency in developing countries.;3. Professor of the Institute of Economics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) (e‐mail: saboia@ie.ufrj.br). His main areas of interest are labour economics, industrial economics and welfare economics. He has had dozens of articles published in academic journals and has extensive experience in consulting for public institutions in Brazil and overseas.;4. holds a PhD from the University of East Anglia. He is currently a researcher at Universidad de Guadalajara and the National Institute of Public Health, both in Mexico. His main fields of interest are poverty and economic growth. He can be reached at e‐mail: rrbaruch@gmail.com |
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| Abstract: | This article provides a comprehensive assessment of the effects of social protection interventions on material and subjective elements of well‐being. Drawing on a longitudinal survey located in two relatively deprived parts of Brazil, it assesses the effects of pensions and other cash transfers on the well‐being of older people and their households. This analysis is located within a dynamic economic and public policy context. The article finds that pension benefits significantly increase per capita income and that this is strongly associated with overall levels of satisfaction with household well‐being. Levels of reported subjective well‐being do not fall as respondents age, and the survey finds high levels of optimism about future well‐being. The positive effects of pension benefits were supported by upgraded health services and by more specific policies such as access to credit on favourable terms. Overall, the authors conclude that a combination of economic growth and effective public policies significantly boosted the well‐being of most households in their survey, and that Brazil can be taken as a model of good practice for other middle‐income countries. |
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