The Role of Social Allowance in an Era of Increasing Multiple Disparities

Abstract

We are living in an era of a spectacular growth of nonstandard work arrangements, gig-workers, and on-demand and flexible hours workers; their work patterns deviate from the archetypical employment. We are also experiencing merely patchy social protection coverage which shown many of its drawbacks in a stark contrast with the welfare state of golden age. There is a great disparity between regular and irregular workers, between prime-age workers and young workers(job seekers), between employed workers and self-employed workers. There are structured disparities by income classes, education achievements, and employment status which are increasingly and constantly intertwined. It is, therefore, time we should reform our contributory social protection systems for better coverage, and it is high time to redesign the social allowance scheme including a temporary allowance and a special scheme, which are un-tied benefits from contributions in order to properly help the truly disadvantaged who rigid social insurances fail to support.