Policy change in flat pensions: Comparing Canada and the UK

Abstract

AbstractAdopting a historical and comparative perspective, this article explores the politics of flat old‐age pensions in the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada, two liberal countries in which this type of program is at the foundation of the public pension system. The article focuses on changes that affect eligibility criteria and benefit levels. It concludes that, in both countries, pension reform efforts have followed contradictory trajectories but, overall, despite being a non‐contributory program, Canada's Old Age Security has proved more resilient than the UK's Basic State Pension, a reality that challenges the well‐known claim that contributory pension programs are more resistant to restructuring than non‐contributory ones.