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Media type:
E-Article
Title:
Zum Problem der Generationengerechtigkeit in den Sozialversicherungen
Contributor:
Werding, Martin;
Barbier, Hans D.;
Börsch-Supan, Axel
imprint:
Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2003
Published in:Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftspolitik
Language:
English
DOI:
10.1515/zfwp-2003-0204
ISSN:
2366-0317;
0721-3808
Origination:
Footnote:
Description:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>
<jats:p>In his paper Martin Werding proposes “Public pension entitlements according to the number of children: arguments for an unpopular idea”. Proposals to curtail public pension entitlements for those who have no children, thus shifting the burden involved in pension reform that is necessitated by demographic ageing mainly to this sub-group of insured individuals, are provoking heated debates. Nonetheless, the idea is defended here arguing that unfunded public pensions are essentially based on aggregate human capital investment in which the childless are less engaged than those who have children. There is a role of childless individuals in co-financing child-related benefits and public education, which can give rise to pension entitlements for these people as well, but the current system in Germany is far away from balancing the relevant financial burdens and claims on the return to expenditure on children across the population. There are thus good reasons to reflect the current asymmetries within an alternative benefit formula for the German public pension scheme. </jats:p>
<jats:p>In his article Hans D. Barbier comments the debate on the consolidation of pension funds’ finances. It is wrong to claim that the old-age pensions are safe. One of the risk factors is the demographic development: this shows the problem of a fictional inter-generation compact. But there are grave arguments against an economic punishment of childlessness, e. g. against the simplified formula to shorten the retirement pensions of people without children by half. </jats:p>
<jats:p>In his article Axel Börsch-Supan discusses the impossibility of defining a practical concept of “justice between generations”. He argues that the concept - understood as an equal treatment of generations - is ill-definded and lacks practical applicability because it is impossible to unravel the historical starting point of each generations life course in a world characterized by non-stationarity and sudden events such as wars, economic crises, baby booms and baby busts.</jats:p>