老年贫困问题与我国养老保障政策作用评估

Poverty and Assessment of Social Security Policy for Elderly in China

基于实证数据,评估和比较了养老保障政策对于缓解老年贫困的作用。结果表明,基本社会保险在缓解城乡老年人客观贫困方面发挥着基础性作用,社会救助体系中的低保制度对于缓解老年人主客观贫困均起到补救效果,而针对老年人等群体的社会福利制度也在一定程度上起到经济救助作用。与"贫困生命周期理论"的观点一致,分析结果表明,个体进入老年期后身心健康变差,丧偶风险增大,社会参与意愿降低,均会增加贫困的发生和感知风险。应完善城乡基本养老保险制度,提高养老金标准,逐步建立全国性的大病保险、针对老年人的长期护理保险和重特大疾病救助制度,继续发挥最低生活保障和特困人员救助制度对于老年贫困人口的托底救助作用,统筹建立全国性的普惠性高龄津贴和选择性护理补贴制度,积极引导社会力量,形成完备的老年贫困帮扶政策体系。

Based on empirical data,this paper evaluated and compared the effects of old-age security policies on the alleviation of elderly poverty.Results show that the basic social insurance plays a fundamental role in the fight against elderly objective poverty;the subsistence allowance system,a typical social assistance policy in China,has an effect on both objective and subjective poverty;elderly-targeted social welfare policies can also serve as financial relief to some extent.We also found that deterioration of physical and mental health,increasing risk of being widowed,as well as reluctance to participate in social activities in old age increases the incidence of poverty,which is consistent with the life-cycle theory.This paper argues that the government should make use of social resources and develop a comprehensive anti-poverty policy system through various channels. We should improve the basic old-age insurance system in urban and rural China,increase the endowment level,and gradually establish a nation-wide serious illness insurance system,long-term care insurance system and a relief system for critical diseases.We should continue to make the minimum living allowance system and the relief system for people living in dire poverty be the last resort of poor elderly.We should also have in place a nation-wide inclusive old age allowance and selective long-term care subsidy system.