Euronews (13.02.2025) In many European countries, pension income is significantly lower than pre-retirement earnings from work. This makes it difficult for many older people to maintain their standard of living after retirement. Nearly one in six pensioners are at the risk-of-poverty in the EU, with the rate increasing from 12% in 2013 to 15.5% in 2023. So, how do pensions compare to pre-retirement work income across Europe?

pensionpolicyinternational.com (17.02.2025) Caring for an elderly loved one might not be on your radar right now, but it’s a role many of us will take on eventually. “Almost all of us in Singapore will be, or already are, a caregiver,” Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, CEO of the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), observed. When his childless, widowed paternal uncle, now in his mid-80s, was hospitalised with a severe bout of influenza A, it was Mr Dinesh’s parents – both in their 70s – who stepped in.

The Economic Times (06.02.2025) The Ministry of Labour and Employment is set to introduce a policy granting pension benefits to gig and platform workers through the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation. This will supplement the existing health cover under PM Jan Aarogya Yojana. The pension plan, funded by aggregators, aims to provide financial security for gig workers, recognizing their significant contribution to the services economy.

Development Pathways (11.02.2025) The global shift towards digitalisation is revolutionising social protection information systems, including those in low- and middle-income countries. Gone are the days of inefficient paper-based processes: digital technologies are now indispensable for enhancing efficiency, minimising errors, and enabling data-driven decision-making. Emerging technologies like generative AI are accelerating this transformation. Azerbaijan is leading the way among middle-income countries with its exemplary digitalisation initiatives in social protection.

The Korea Times (09.02.2025) The number of national pension subscribers continues to decline due mainly to the low birthrate and aging population, data from the National Pension Service (NPS) showed Sunday, raising concerns over its sustainability. In contrast, the number of recipients is increasing, pushing the current national pension system toward a risk of fund depletion. But discussions on ways to make the pension system more sustainable have been delayed.

worldbank.org (29.01.2025) The Sahel is faced with increasingly frequent and severe interconnected shocks, particularly those related to climate change and conflict, exacerbating risks and vulnerabilities to poverty, food insecurity, inequality, and low levels of human capital. To effectively respond to these crises, governments require systems enabling them to rapidly and accurately identify sudden changes in household welfare.

thedailyguardian.com 801.02.20259 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget 2025 speech, announced that the government will issue ID cards to gig workers. These workers will also get healthcare benefits through a social security scheme. Moreover, the government will invest in street vendors, urban workers, and online platform workers to improve their financial security.

wtwco.com (15.01.2025) The Employee Welfare Fund, Thailand’s much-anticipated financial safety net for employees, is set to launch in late 2025, bringing new contribution requirements for employers and their workforces.

socialprotection.org (15.01.2025) Artificial Intelligence (AI) has undergone rapid advancements in recent times in terms of computational power and general usage of algorithms across multiple areas, such as healthcare diagnosis, fraud detection and public service delivery. As we will see in this post, usage of AI, particularly algorithms, is not novel in public policy or in social protection and tends to increase (Benoit 2024). The wider acceptance of AI and general utilization of algorithms in public policy serves as the main point of contention.

Institute of Development Studies (17.12.2024) The introduction of ‘digital-by-default’ welfare and social protection systems in the UK and beyond has delivered efficiencies and cost savings for governments and can be convenient for recipients. But, given the rapid pace of change, we need to understand the ethical, social, and political implications of digital welfare from the perspectives of the poorest and most marginalised members of our societies.