oecd.org (19.12.2024) Governments worldwide are transforming public services through innovative approaches that place people at the center of design and delivery. This report analyses nearly 800 case studies from 83 countries and identifies five critical trends in government innovation that are reshaping public services. First, governments are working with users and stakeholders to co-design solutions and anticipate future needs to create flexible, responsive, resilient and sustainable public services.

theconversation.com (20.12.2024) The state pension age in the UK is currently 66. Yet 9.5% of people aged 66 and older (1.12 million people) were still working, according to the most recent data from the UK’s Annual Population Survey (July 2023 to June 2024). This figure has been rising over the past decade, increasing from 8.70% (880,000 people) in July 2013 to June 2014. We think of retirement as a time to pursue hobbies, relax and enjoy the fruits of our labour. So why then, are so many people still working beyond retirement age, and who are they?

IFPRI (18.12.2024) In 186 countries worldwide, cash transfer programs are the cornerstone of social protection, outnumbering social security or pension plans. These offer critical financial lifelines to vulnerable households, aiming to alleviate poverty by providing steady cash support.

Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS) University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (10.12.2024) Globalization has transformed the global landscape, fostering economic, cultural, and social integration. One critical area affected by globalization is the provision of social security benefits for individuals who move across borders. Ensuring the portability and coordination of social security benefits has become essential in a world where mobility is increasingly common, especially for countries like Sri Lanka with significant migrant worker populations.

IFPRI (18.12.2024) Egypt’s experience is a case in point. The country’s Takaful cash transfer program has been a vital source of support for millions, but fiscal space is too limited for cash transfers to serve as a solution to poverty (Breisinger, et al. 2023). The hope is that graduating current cash transfer beneficiaries will free up public resources to reach other impoverished households.

worldbank.org (18.12.2024) This brief focuses on long-term care (LTC) for older persons, emphasizing the areas where social protection and jobs are key to building and strengthening this agenda.2While LTC is sometimes perceived as part of the health agenda, social protection programs and policies are crucial for providing and financing social care-related services. Taking a multisectoral approach to LTC can ensure an integrated range of social and health care options which would be the foundation for efficient and cost-effective provision of LTC for all older adults.

African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (Dec 2024) This brief, Advancing Digital Social Protection in Africa through Inclusion and Data Protection, explores strategies to develop inclusive and secure digital social protection (DSP) systems across Africa. DSP systems, which leverage digital tools to deliver social services, present transformative opportunities to address the needs of marginalized populations, including women, informal workers, youth, and migrants.

The evolving nature of work is prompting a global shift towards more adaptable and flexible employment practices. However, NSEs face obstacles due to their unique nature of fluctuating income, instability, and administrative barriers that complicate their inclusion in labor and social protection systems.

europa.eu (2024) Increasing attention has recently been paid to the situation of domestic workers at European Union (EU) level. The European Parliament, social partners and stakeholders have called on the European Commission to improve the working conditions and social protection of domestic workers within the limits of its Treaty competence. Domestic workers provide support services to households, including care (e.g. childcare or long-term care (LTC) for older people and for people with disabilities) and non-care activities (e.g. cleaning or cooking).

(14.11.2024) Population ageing is exerting unprecedented fiscal pressure on social security systems around the world. In response, many governments are implementing or planning pension reforms, often aimed at encouraging later retirement. Recent years have seen a surge in empirical research on retirement behavior and the impact of pension reforms. This column presents a new eBook that reviews insights from the newest advances in research on retirement policy and provides fresh perspectives on how to (re)think pension reforms.