E-Journal of International and Comparative Labour Studies (Vol. 14 No. 2 - 2025) This paper examines the challenges facing European social security systems, focusing on Italy and Sweden’s differing approaches to pension reform amid ageing populations. It analyses how demographic shifts—such as declining fertility and increased longevity—are impacting the balance between contributors and beneficiaries in pay-as-you-go (PAYG) schemes.

socialprotection.org (2025) The MENA region faces increasing vulnerability, displacement and humanitarian needs that outpace available resources. While social protection systems exist in several countries, conflict, fragility and parallel humanitarian responses have strained national efforts. Strengthening coordination between humanitarian, development and SP actors is critical to ensure more coherent, efficient and sustainable support and impact.

This report focuses on the digitalisation of front- and back-office processes in monetary social benefits. In 10 EU Member States and Norway, a digital application is possible for all, or all but one, of the nine benefits investigated. In at least five Member States, paper applications have been discontinued for some of the benefits. The automation of benefits, which removes the need to apply and prevents non-take-up, is most common for child benefits. Digitalisation is often applied to identify overpayments, but rarely to detect cases of non-take-up.

reuters.com (20.11.2025) Across Europe, politicians increasingly tout private pensions as a cure-all for reviving stagnant stock exchanges, fostering entrepreneurship and curbing ballooning public spending as populations age. But any governments that bet on this solution may be disappointed. A proliferation of individual piggybanks will not solve the deeper challenges that flow from having purchasing power ever-more concentrated in older hands.

dailyindependent.com (18.11.2025) The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has launched a revolutionary Social Protection Wallet for its registered beneficiary women, marking a historic step towards digital financial inclusion. In line with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s vision for a cashless economy, BISP has begun distributing free mobile SIMs to approximately one million eligible women across the country. This initiative also reflects the social protection vision of President Asif Ali Zardari and is considered among the largest social protection projects globally.

helpage.org (05.11.2025) HelpAge International’s 2024–25 Learning Report explores how ageism interacts with other forms of discrimination such as ableism and sexism, and how social factors like displacement, poverty, and gender shape older people’s experiences of exclusion.

ilo.org (13.11.2025) Organized under the framework of the Estidama++ programme, implemented by the SSC with technical support from the ILO and funding from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Norway, the workshop aimed at fostering dialogue dialogue and knowledge exchange international experiences and mechanisms for contribution subsidies across different national contexts. It also highlighted the Jordanian experience through the Estidama++ programme as a national model for developing contribution subsidy mechanisms to include workers in the informal economy.

ilo.org (11.11.2025) A new ILO report, From Reform to Reality: Understanding Perceptions of Iraq’s New Social Security Law, presents evidence from a rapid survey of 121 formal enterprises and 300 workers in Baghdad and Basra. The findings show strong support for the objectives of the 2023 social security reform, but also reveal persistent gaps in awareness, enrolment and access to benefits. While most employers report registering their workers, many workers are unaware of their coverage, and only a small share have attempted to claim benefits.

euobserver.com (11.11.2025) In Spain, there are three main food delivery platforms operating in the market: Glovo (by far the largest in the country, headquartered in Barcelona), Just Eat, and Uber Eats - each of them have reacted differently to the country's 2021 Rider Law.

ilo.org (03.11.2025) This document analyzes how Chile, Morocco, the Philippines and Spain are advancing in the design and implementation of public care policies, highlighting their progress, challenges and lessons learned. The report demonstrates that investing in care systems can create jobs, reduce inequalities and strengthen social protection.