The main objective of the research is to document how inequalities in healthy ageing have evolved from one generation to the next, and how public policies aimed at strengthening the fiscal sustainability of social protection systems have either counteracted or exacerbated these trends.
Part One: Recent trends in life expectancy and healthy ageing
The overall aim is to provide a more comprehensive and nuanced picture of recent trends in inequalities related to ageing in countries across North America and Europe.
Firstly, the researchers will document inequalities in life expectancy, healthy ageing and the need for long-term care across generations and countries. They will draw on a recent body of literature that has utilised new data to produce reliable estimates of life expectancy inequality by income level.
They will incorporate data from France and Sweden and carry out a cross-national analysis
using estimates available for Canada, England, Germany and the United States. This enables them to compare trends in mortality inequalities over time across different countries.
Mortality is, however, only one aspect of inequalities related to ageing. The researchers aim to provide further information on healthy life expectancy using EU-wide data and additional surveys in France and Sweden.
Part Two: Redistributive effects of current policies
The researchers will examine the implications of current policies from a redistributive perspective.
Their aim is to analyse pension reforms in the United Kingdom, France and Sweden to describe how these changes have affected individuals differently according to their gender and socio-economic background.
Raising the state pension age is one of the main measures used by many governments to address the pressure on public finances caused by an ageing population.
To offset the decline in the generosity of state pensions, some governments – for example in Canada and the UK – have introduced reforms designed to encourage private saving. These reforms are likely to exacerbate inequalities in retirement income levels. Researchers will examine inequalities within private pension schemes, the impact of recent reforms such as automatic enrolment in the UK, and the potential effects on income inequality in retirement.
Part Three: Inequalities in access to long-term care
Recent research has also begun to highlight the fact that care needs, and the use of formal care or care provided by carers, are largely influenced by socio-economic background. The researchers will expand this body of research by analysing the impact of reforms on inequalities in care provision in Canada and Germany. In this regard, it is essential to focus on the interaction between the pension system, informal care and long-term care facilities.
