Issues in Social Protection Series. Discussion Paper 12

Non-contributory pensions and social protection

Examines non-contributory pension schemes found in a small number of countries, paying particular attention to the large cash transfer programmes in Brazil and South Africa. It evaluates the effectiveness of these programmes, and considers the feasibility of establishing similar schemes in other developing countries. This evaluation is complex both because non-contributory pension programmes have multiple objectives, and because there is considerable diversity of socio-economic and cultural conditions across the developing world.