Benefit Payments Research Articles

Legal issues of reforming the social insurance system of employees during the pandemic

The article analyzes certain legal aspects of compulsory and voluntary insurance during the pandemic in connection with COVID-19. Since Article 7 of the Constitution of Russia pro-claims the Russian Federation to be a social state, an analysis of these aspects is currently relevant, using a comparative legal and system-structural research methods. Among the most important problems currently considered are improving the mechanism of compulsory social insurance for temporary disability and in connection with maternity, as well as voluntary in-surance of those types that are social in nature, i.e. voluntary medical insurance and insurance against illness. It is necessary to optimize the composition of types of compulsory social insur-ance and to clarify the grounds for provision in connection with COVID-19, in particular, by including coronavirus infection in the list of diseases that entitle one to the payment of ben-efits for caring for a sick child for a longer period, as well as by securing the right to benefits for one of the parents in the event that the child declares additional holidays due to quarantine. In addition, it is proposed to legislate the concepts of accident and disease not only in relation to compulsory social insurance against industrial accidents and occupational diseases, but also in relation to voluntary social insurance, which can be done in legislation on organizing insurance businesses. To resolve the issue of expanding the coverage of citizens with voluntary social insurance in case COVID-19, it is necessary to approve the minimum requirements for this type of insurance by the instruction of the Bank of Russia.

Страны ОЭСР: политика на рынке труда в условиях пандемии

In 2020 – the first half of 2021, the OECD economies faced a serious crisis, which was manifested by an increase in unemployment, a reduction in the number of jobs, and a decrease in household income. However, the nature of the last crisis and, accordingly, the ways out of it differed significantly from the previous recessions. During the COVID 19 pandemic, the global economy faced a massive supply shock caused by the forced shutdowns and the introduction of a self-isolation regime. The key task of state policy was to preserve the human capital of companies in order to facilitate the fastest possible recovery when anti-epidemic restrictions have been lifted. The OECD governments launch strong agenda to maintain their labor markets. The State Employment Service and the unemployment insurance system have significantly adjusted their methods of interaction with unemployed and companies. This included measures to simplify the procedure for obtaining unemployment benefits, which led to a significant increase in the number of beneficiaries. The deadlines for payment of benefits have been extended, the amount of the benefits has been increased and, in a number of countries, some groups of workers who had previously remained outside the system were included in the insurance system. Teleworking has become an important means of overcoming the spread of infection. The proportion of teleworkers in OECD countries ranged in the midst of the crisis from 30 to 60%. Governments are actively involved in supporting distance employment, starting with its legislative permission and ending with financial support for companies that are switching to this form of work. During the pandemic, job retention programs have become one of the main labor market support tools. The characteristic features of job retention programs were the wide coverage of workers, the simplification of the procedure for obtaining the state aid, the inclusion of workers with a non-standard form of contract. The governments have sought to encourage companies to use the reduced work period for professional retraining. Once the pandemic is over, OECD countries will have to return to the backlog of structural labor market problems.

Elections and COVID-19 Benefit Payments

Elections and COVID-19 Benefit Payments

Asset liability management for the Bank of Uganda defined benefits scheme by stochastic programming

We develop a model for asset liability management of pension funds, which is solved by stochastic programming techniques. Using data provided by the Bank of Uganda Defined Benefits Scheme, which is closed to new members, we obtain the optimal investment policies. Randomly sampled scenario trees using the mean and covariance structure of the return distribution are used for generating the coefficients of the stochastic program. Liabilities are modelled by remaining years of life expectancy and guaranteed period for monthly pension. We obtain the funding situation of the scheme at each stage, and the terminal cash injection by the sponsor required to meet all future benefit payments, in absence of contributing members.

ГОСУДАРСТВЕННАЯ ПОДДЕРЖКА КАК ОДИН ИЗ ЭЛЕМЕНТОВ ПОВСЕДНЕВНОЙ ЖИЗНИ СЕМЕЙ ФРОНТОВИКОВ В УСЛОВИЯХ ВЕЛИКОЙ ОТЕЧЕСТВЕННОЙ ВОЙНЫ 1941–1945 ГОДОВ (НА МАТЕРИАЛАХ ДАГЕСТАНСКОЙ АССР)

The work, written on the basis of diverse sources, literature and memoirs of contemporaries, shows the state of families of front-line soldiers in the conditions of the Great Patriotic War, as well as measures taken by party and state structures of various levels in Dagestan to provide normal living conditions for them. The article concludes that, despite the objective difficulties faced by many families of Red Army soldiers who found themselves in difficult living conditions, they were sympathetic to the problems characteristic of the war period. According to the author, the main forms of social assistance to the relatives of front-line soldiers in Dagestan during the war years were the payment of benefits, the provision of various benefits to disabled veterans and families of front-line soldiers, as well as the adoption of measures for their employment. Of no small importance was the help from enterprises and public organizations of Dagestan, which assumed part of the responsibility for the family members of the front-line soldiers, thereby solving everyday problems. The material used in the study shows that despite the existence of objective problems, support for military families was among the priorities of the country's leadership, thereby strengthening the faith of the Red Army soldiers in the victory over Nazism, and becoming one of the sources of the manifestation of the heroism of the people in the Great Patriotic War.

Profitability of Crop Cultivation in Small Arable Fields When Taking Economic Values of Ecosystem Services into Account

Small arable fields are beneficial with regard to ecosystem services, e.g., concerning biodiversity. By selecting appropriate crops and cultivation practices, arable fields can also be used as carbon sinks. The objectives of this study were to investigate what impact field conditions (e.g., field size and shape) and payments (subsidies) for environmental benefits have on profitability. A dynamic simulation model was used to simulate machine operations in fields of two different shapes and five different sizes (from 0.75 to 12.00 ha). A wide range of crops cultivated in Sweden were investigated (fallow land and plantation of Norway spruce were also included). A perimeter-based subsidy was suggested in order to conserve and promote biodiversity, and an area- and crop-based subsidy was suggested in order to promote sequestration of soil organic carbon (SOC). The results showed that, without financial support and from a purely economic point of view, most field types investigated should be planted with Norway spruce. With currently available subsidies, e.g., EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) direct payments, hybrid aspen, poplar, fallow, and extensive ley cultivation are the most profitable crops. Perimeter-based subsidies favoured the net gain for small fields. As expected, a subsidy for sequestration of SOC favoured cultivation of specific SOC-sequestering crops such as ley, willow, and poplar. Our recommendation for future studies is to investigate a well-balanced combination of perimeter-based support and SOC sequestration support that benefits biodiversity and climate under different cultivation conditions.

Germany's recruitment of workers from Turkey, 1960–1973 – Some remarks

Germany's recruitment of workers from Turkey, 1960–1973 – Some remarks

Optimal investment and benefit adjustment problem for a target benefit pension plan with Cobb-Douglas utility and Epstein-Zin recursive utility

This paper studies an optimal investment and benefit adjustment problem for a target benefit pension plan. The pension sponsor can adjust the benefit level to guarantee the stable operation of the plan. The pension is allowed to invest in a risk-free bond and a stock. The weighted product of the benefit outgo and pension wealth is considered in the objective function, which is taken in the form of Cobb-Douglas utility. Thus the plan takes both the benefit level and terminal wealth of the pension into account and then the benefit payment are dependent on the financial situation of the plan. By applying dynamic programming approach, we establish the corresponding Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation and derive the optimal investment-benefit strategy and the value function explicitly. The verification theorem is presented and proved. Furthermore, the recursive utility is considered as an extension and we find that the elasticity of intertemporal substitution has a positive effect on the optimal benefit level. Finally, numerical examples are given and demonstrate that this pension scheme is sustainable and can provide stable and consecutive incremental benefit payment for future generations.

Income support for parents of children with chronic conditions and disability: where do we draw the line? A policy review

ObjectiveThe aim of this review was to identify and describe whether parents who have had to stop paid employment to care for a child with a chronic condition or disability...

The impact of changes in job security on mental health across gender and family responsibility: evidence from the UK Household Longitudinal Study.

While there is strong evidence that job insecurity leads to mental distress, little is known about how gender and parental responsibilities may exacerbate this relationship. Examining their contribution as potential effect modifiers may provide insights into gender inequalities in mental health and inform gender-sensitive labour policies to ameliorate the negative effects of job insecurity. Our study addresses this gap by examining the longitudinal association between job insecurity and mental health across different configurations of gender and parental responsibilities. Our sample includes 34,772 employed participants over the period of 2010-2018. A gender-stratified fixed-effect regression was used to model the within-person change over time in mental health associated with loss of job security, and effect modification by parent-partner status (e.g. childfree men, partnered father, etc.). Loss of job security was associated with a moderate decrease in mental health functioning for partnered fathers, partnered mothers, and childfree men and women ranging between a reduction in MCS-12 by 1.00 to 2.27 points (p < 0.05). Lone fathers who lose their job security experienced a higher decrease in mental health functioning at -7.69 (95% CI -12.69 to -2.70), while lone mothers did not experience any change. The effects of job insecurity on mental health is consistent across gender and parent-partner status with the exception of lone fathers and lone mothers. Future studies should investigate the effects of policies that may reduce mental distress in the face of the threat of job loss such as reducing wait time for payment of unemployment benefits.

Employment trajectories among those treated for alcohol use disorder: A register-based cohort study.

Employment during and following treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) is important for the individual's health and well-being and for reducing the societal costs associated with benefit payments. Nonetheless, this is an under-researched topic. This study aimed to identify trajectories of labour force participation among people enrolled in AUD treatment and describe the characteristics of those following contrasting pathways. Using trajectory analysis, we modelled employment trajectory groups among AUD patients during the year of treatment entry and the 4 subsequent years, applying Norwegian longitudinal register data. Norway. Patients who entered treatment with AUD as the primary diagnosis during 2009 and 2010 (9000 patients, age 20-61 years). The outcome variable 'labour force attachment' was measured as being in full-time employment, partly employed, on temporary welfare benefits or on permanent disability pension. Predictors were age, gender, education and comorbid mental health and drug use disorders. We distinguished six employment trajectories among AUD patients: 15.8% were on permanent disability pension throughout, 8.7% exited the labour force on permanent disability pension during the observation period, 32.1% had a medium attachment throughout follow-up, and 9.2% had a decreasing attachment; 23.3% had a high labour force attachment throughout, and 10.9% experienced increasing attachment. High attachment throughout was negatively associated with being female (P < 0.001), having lower educational attainment (P < 0.001), and having comorbid mental health (P < 0.001) and drug use disorders (P < 0.001). Norwegian patients treated for alcohol use disorder in 2009 and 2010 followed six employment trajectories during the 5 years following treatment entry and had lower labour force participation than the general population. Nearly a quarter had a high labour force attachment throughout treatment, which was positively associated with being male, having higher educational attainment and having fewer comorbid mental health and drug use disorders.

When Job Search is Deemed Insufficient: Experiences of Unemployed People Disbarred Following Compliancy Monitoring

Job search is a central element of activation policies, which aim to transform unemployed people into active jobseekers who are subject to checks. We examine a neglected aspect of activation: sanctions. To do so we analyse, through biographical interviews with formerly-unemployed people whose benefit payments have been stopped, what it means when a job search is deemed insufficient. Although these formerly-unemployed people have failed to present enough written and tangible evidence of their job search during checks, they have pursued a different type of job search comprising more informal activities that are difficult to convert into written documents. So, we identify a twin-stranded job search – prescribed and alternative. We also point out that the gap between institutionally-framed job search and experience-based job search widens among unemployed people having low employability attributes, so that ever-stricter checks penalize those who are most vulnerable.

Social policy in Scotland after the devolution reform. Towards fragmentation of the British welfare state?

The article presents the origins and evolution of social policy programmes in Scotland since the referendum in 1997. Regional authorities in Scotland obtained significant prerogatives in payment of social benefits. They actively exercised the rights granted by the UK legislation, resulting in the partial decentralisation of the social security system in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has become a fact. This decentralisation is not complete, because the administration of pensions, and unemployment benefits remains the sole responsibility of London’s central government. One of the features of British social policy has become territorial asymmetry, consisting of partially different programs and social policy institutions in other parts of the UK. The most important effect of the reforms is the creation of institutions and draft social policy programs that can be put into effect, when the process of political emancipation in Scotland will lead to a new regional referendum.

Analysis of the law of the Republic of Moldova on the granting of compensation in the event of the death of one of the spouses

The article analyzes in detail and comments article by article the main legal aspects of the Law of the Republic of Moldova on the provision of benefits in the event of the death of one of the spouses No. 156/2019 through the prism of the norms and prescriptions of the national legislation on social insurance and social security, as well as their practical and correct application, with the formulation in the process of presenting the material of substantiated conclusions and recommendations on the multifaceted and topical topic under consideration. At the same time, the comments contained in this article are intended to assist faculty, doctoral students, undergraduates and students of law schools / faculties and scientific researchers of organizations / centers in the field of science and innovation in the systemic assimilation of social insurance and social security norms. , regulating the procedure for registration and payment of benefits due to the death of one of the spouses. In addition, these comments are aimed at correct / accurate understanding and application of the provisions of the current laws and regulations on social insurance and social security by employees of social insurance and social assistance / protection authorities at all levels, lawyers, inspectors of human resources services, representatives of social partners and non-governmental organizations. , entrepreneurs, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, mediators, trade unionists and activists, interested employees and government officials.

Assessment of Technical and Supporting Staff Reward Systems during COVID-19 Pandemic in Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Plateau State, Nigeria

The aim of this study was to assess the reward system for technical and supporting staff in Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) in Plateau State. The study was guided by two objectives and one hypothesis. The study used a descriptive design approach, while a self-developed structured questionnaire titled Covid-19 Pandemic and Reward System Questionnaire (CARS-Q). The data were analyzed using simple percentages, mean rating standard deviation, and independent t-statistics. The results revealed that covid-19 allowances, access to palliatives, provision of personal protective equipment, payment of salaries, provision of relevant information, and staff training were the types of reward systems provided to technical and supporting staff of JUTH during the covid-19 Pandemic. It was also fund that these rewards were not distributed to the staff equally. The results indicated that the technical staff were better rewarded during the Pandemic than the supporting staff. The study concluded that there were differences in the reward system provided to technical and supporting staff of JUTH during the covid-19 Pandemic. The study recommended amongst others that the government and management of JUTH should ensure that both technical and supporting staff are rewarded equally during a pandemic so as to enhance their level of efficiency in service delivery, government and management of the Hospitals should make provision for equality in the payment of covid-19 allowances, insurance benefits and overtime allowances for staff of JUTH during a pandemic and that the hospital should provide flexible working opportunities for the staff for maximum performance.

Valuation of Cliquet-Style Guarantees with Death Benefits in Jump Diffusion Models

This paper aims to value the cliquet-style equity-linked insurance product with death benefits. Whether the insured dies before the contract maturity or not, a benefit payment to the beneficiary is due. The premium is invested in a financial asset, whose dynamics are assumed to follow an exponential jump diffusion. In addition, the remaining lifetime of an insured is modelled by an independent random variable whose distribution can be approximated by a linear combination of exponential distributions. We found that the valuation problem reduced to calculating certain discounted expectations. The Laplace inverse transform and techniques from existing literature were implemented to obtain analytical valuation formulae.

Estimating the broader fiscal consequences of acute hepatic porphyria (AHP) with recurrent attacks in Belgium using a public economic analytic framework

BackgroundAcute hepatic porphyria (AHP) is a rare, debilitating disease characterized by potentially life-threatening attacks often resulting in chronic symptoms that negatively impact daily functioning and quality of life. Symptoms of AHP prevent many individuals from working and achieving lifetime work averages. The aim of this study was to apply a public economic framework to evaluate AHP in Belgium, taking into consideration a broad range of costs that are relevant to government in relation to social benefit payments and lifetime taxes paid.MethodologyA public economic framework was developed exploring lifetime costs for government attributed to an individual with AHP and recurrent attacks in Belgium. Work-activity and lifetime direct taxes paid, indirect consumption taxes and requirements for public benefits were estimated based on established clinical pathways for AHP and compared to the general population (GP). The model includes AHP-related healthcare costs and non-AHP healthcare costs for the GP.ResultsLifetime earnings are reduced in an individual with AHP by €347,802 per person (p.p.), translating to reduced lifetime taxes paid of €183,187 for an AHP individual compared to the GP. We estimate increased lifetime disability benefit support of €247,242 for an AHP individual compared to GP. Lifetime healthcare costs for a person with AHP were estimated to be €3,030,316 due to frequent hospitalisations associated with porphyria attacks compared to the GP. The lifetime costs for a person with 12 attacks per annum factoring in transfers, taxes and healthcare costs are estimated to be €3,460,745 p.p. Eliminating AHP attacks after 10 years of active disease, thus, enabling a person to return to work increases lifetime earnings by €224,575 p.p. Increased work activity in such individuals would generate an estimated €118,284 p.p. over their lifetime. The elimination of AHP attacks could also lead to reductions in disability payments of €179,184 p.p. and healthcare cost savings of €1,511,027 p.p.ConclusionsDue to severe disability resulting from constant attacks, AHP patients with recurrent attacks incur significant public costs. Lifetime taxes paid are reduced as these attacks occur during peak earning and working years. In those patients, reducing AHP attacks can confer significant fiscal benefits for government, including reduced healthcare costs, reduced disability payments and improved tax revenue.

PERFECT SUSPENSION OF WORK: ALTERNATIVE OR ABUSE OF SOCIAL BENEFITS IN TIMES OF PANDEMIC

The purpose of the research was to determine the impact of the Perfect Suspension Of Work (SPL) on the social benefits of workers during the state of sanitary emergency 2020. The methodology is: applied, non-experimental design, quantitative approach and cross-sectional through the technique of documentary analysis and the data registration form, the study considered the information reported by the Ministry of Labor and Employment Promotion, and reports and publications of regulations applied and enacted during the state of sanitary emergency. The results showed that 298,677 workers were included in the SPL, where 98.12% belong to the private sector, 48.51% to companies with more than 100 workers, 26.05% receive remuneration between S/1000.00 and S/1500. 00 soles, the most affected activity is the real estate activity with 15.85% and the employers have a debt of more than 27 million soles with the AFP, where 80.67% are in judicial collection and the granting of social benefits were computed by days actually worked. In conclusion, the SPL has had a negative impact on social benefit payments and workers retirement funds.

The impact of climate change on policy‐relevant indicators of temperature extremes in the United Kingdom

AbstractClimate change will increase the frequency of heatwaves in the United Kingdom and reduce the frequency of cold spells. This paper evaluates the effect of changes in climate as represented by UKCP18 climate projections on a series of indicators of heat and cold extremes relevant to policy in the United Kingdom. These indicators are expressed in terms of current critical thresholds beyond which alerts are issued or specific actions implemented, rather than impacts on health and well‐being. The frequency and duration of heatwave and heat–health alerts increase under all scenarios, with the greatest absolute number of events in the south and east of England where the chance of hot weather events affecting worker productivity doubles by the 2020s. Cold weather events – triggering health and social care plans and benefit payments – will become less frequent, but the effects of climate change on cold events are much smaller than on hot events and they will continue to occur. Until at least the 2040s, the projected effects of climate change do not depend strongly on the assumed change in global emissions, and the range in possible changes is primarily determined by uncertainty in the change in temperature in the United Kingdom for a given emissions pathway. Beyond the 2050s, the impacts are strongly dependent on future emissions. Impacts in a high‐emissions world will be considerably larger than in low‐emissions world. The projected increase in heatwave alerts, and the duration and intensity of heatwaves, implies not only a need to review heatwave emergency planning arrangements – looking in particular at what should become regarded as ‘normal’ summer weather – but also increased efforts to reduce vulnerability to extreme heat events. At the same time, cold weather events will still continue to occur with a sufficient frequency that plans need to be maintained.

ЕSTIMATION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC BURDEN OF CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE FOR A 5-YEAR PERIOD: A REGIONAL ASPECT

The aim of the study was to estimate the economic damage by COPD, including direct medical and non-medical costs and indirect costs associated with premature deaths of working-age individuals.Materials and methods. First, estimation of the economic COPD burden in Astrakhan region (AR) was carried out using the clinical and economic analysis of the "cost of illness" (COI). Direct medical costs of inpatient, outpatient, ambulance and emergency medical care, as well as direct non-medical costs associated with the disability benefits payments, were taken into account. Indirect costs were defined as economic losses from undelivered products due to premature deaths of working-age individuals.Results. From 2015 to 2019, the economic COPD burden in AR amounted to 757.11 million rubles in total, which is equivalent to 0.03% of the gross regional product covering a five-year period of the study. Direct medical and non-medical costs totaled 178.02 million rubles. In the structure of direct medical expenses, expenses for inpatient, as well as ambulance and emergency medical care during the study period, increased by 92.5% and 45.5%, respectively. While the costs for the outpatient care decreased by 31.9%, the increase in direct non-medical costs associated with the disability benefits payments, increased by 5.1% (2019). Indirect losses amounted to 579.09 million rubles.Conclusion. The structure of the main damage is dominated by indirect losses in the economy associated with premature deaths of working-age individuals. In the structure of direct medical costs, inpatient care costs prevailed. These studies indicate the need to continue an advanced analysis of the economic burden of COPD, as well as to optimize the treatment and prevention of the exacerbations development of this disease.