Alternative Tax-benefit Strategies to Support Children in the European Union. Recent Reforms in Austria, Spain and the United Kingdom

Alternative Tax-benefit Strategies to Support Children in the European Union. Recent Reforms in Austria, Spain and the United Kingdom

AUTHOR(S)
Holly Sutherland; Christine Lietz; Horacio Levy

Published: 2005 Innocenti Working Papers
In this paper the situation of three EU countries that have recently experienced substantial but very different reforms of their systems to support families with children is analysed and compared: Austria, Spain and the United Kingdom. The structure of these systems is very different: Austria gives emphasis to universal benefits, Spain to tax concessions and the United Kingdom to means-tested benefits.
Through Children's Eyes: An initial study of children's personal experiences and coping strategies growing up poor in an affluent Netherlands

Through Children's Eyes: An initial study of children's personal experiences and coping strategies growing up poor in an affluent Netherlands

AUTHOR(S)
Tamara van der Hoek

Published: 2005 Innocenti Working Papers
This study seeks to promote children’s visibility and their voices within the scope of research on child poverty in rich countries through both a theoretical and empirical exploration. It discusses how recent sociological approaches to the study of childhood can further advance attempts to consider poverty from the perspective of the child. Additionally, to further understand children’s own responses to growing up in poverty, current literature on coping mechanisms among children is considered. Subsequently, this study seeks to give children’s perspectives, on the basis of qualitative in-depth interviews conducted in the Netherlands among six- to sixteen-year-old children (and their parents) of 65 families living at the national minimum benefit level.
Cite this publication | No. of pages: 49 | Thematic area: Child Poverty | Tags: child poverty, child welfare
Child Poverty in Rich Countries 2005

Child Poverty in Rich Countries 2005

Published: 2005 Innocenti Report Card
The proportion of children living in poverty has risen in a majority of the world's developed economies. No matter which of the commonly-used poverty measures is applied, the situation of children is seen to have deteriorated over the last decade. This publication is the sixth in a series of Innocenti Report Cards designed to monitor and compare the performance of the OECD countries in meeting the needs of their children.
La pauvreté des enfants dans les pays riches 2005

La pauvreté des enfants dans les pays riches 2005

Published: 2005 Innocenti Report Card
La proportion d’enfants dans l’indigence a augmenté au sein de la plupart des économies développées dans le monde. Quels que soient les critères retenus parmi ceux communément utilisés pour mesurer la pauvreté, force est de constater que la situation des enfants s’est dégradée au cours de la dernière décennie. Cette publication est la sixième de la série des Bilans Innocenti qui visent à suivre et à comparer les résultats obtenus par les pays de l’OCDE pour répondre aux besoins de leurs enfants.
Pobreza infantil en países ricos 2005

Pobreza infantil en países ricos 2005

Published: 2005 Innocenti Report Card
La proporción de niños que viven en situación de pobreza ha aumentado en la mayoría de las economías desarrolladas. Independientemente del instrumento aplicado para medir la pobreza, la situación de los niños ha experimentado un deterioro en la última década. Esta publicación es el sexto número de una serie titulada Innocenti Report Cards (Boletines de Clasificaciones Innocenti), cuyo objetivo es evaluar y comparar en qué medida los países de la OCDE cubren las necesidades de sus niños.
Povertà dei bambini nei paesi ricchi 2005

Povertà dei bambini nei paesi ricchi 2005

Published: 2005 Innocenti Report Card
La percentuale di bambini poveri è aumentata nella maggior parte delle economie sviluppate del mondo. Indipendentemente dai parametri applicati comunemente per misurare la povertà, la situazione dei bambini risulta essere peggiorata negli ultimi dieci anni. Invertire questa tendenza è una priorità per i paesi OCSE. La riduzione della povertà infantile è una misura del progresso verso la coesione sociale, l'uguaglianza di opportunità, e un investimento sui bambini di oggi e sul mondo di domani. Questa pubblicazione è la sesta della serie Report Cards Innocenti, concepita per registrare e comparare la prestazione dei paesi OCSE nel soddisfare le esigenze dei loro bambini.
Principles and Practicalities in Measuring Child Poverty for the Rich Countries

Principles and Practicalities in Measuring Child Poverty for the Rich Countries

AUTHOR(S)
Miles Corak

Published: 2005 Innocenti Working Papers
This paper has three objectives. The first is to discuss the major issues involved in defining and measuring child poverty. The choices that must be made are clarified and a set of six principles to serve as a guide for public policy is proposed. The second objective is to take stock of child poverty and changes in child poverty in the majority of OECD countries since about 1990 when the Convention on the Rights of the Child came into force. Finally, the third objective is to formulate a number of suggestions for setting credible targets for the elimination of child poverty in the rich countries. This involves the development of appropriate and timely information sources as well as the clarification of feasible targets that may vary across the OECD.
Child Poverty and Changes in Child Poverty in Rich Countries since 1990

Child Poverty and Changes in Child Poverty in Rich Countries since 1990

AUTHOR(S)
Miles Corak; Wen-Hao Chen

Published: 2005 Innocenti Working Papers
This paper documents levels and changes in child poverty rates in 12 OECD countries using data from the Luxembourg Income Study project, and focusing upon an analysis of the reasons for changes over the 1990s. The objective is to uncover the relative role of income transfers from the state in determining the magnitude and direction of change in child poverty rates, holding other demographic and labour market factors constant. As such the paper offers a cross-country overview of child poverty, changes in child poverty and the impact of public policy in North America and Europe. The paper offers a set of country specific results, and also attempts to draw general lessons. First, family and demographic forces play only a limited role in determining changes in child poverty rates. These forces change only gradually and are limited in their ability to cushion children from detrimental shocks originating in the labour market or in the government sector, which are the sources of the major forces determining the direction of change in child poverty. Second, in countries facing severe economic crises it does not appear that the amount of social transfers available were increased in a way to cushion children from these changes and put a backstop on their risk of low income. Third, there is no single road to lower child poverty rates. Changes in income transfers need to be thought through in conjunction with the nature of labour markets.
A Portrait of Child Poverty in Germany

A Portrait of Child Poverty in Germany

AUTHOR(S)
Miles Corak; Michael Fertig; Marcus Tamm

Published: 2005 Innocenti Working Papers
This paper offers a descriptive portrait of income poverty among children in Germany between the early 1980s and 2001, with a focus on developments since unification in 1991. Data from the German Socio-Economic Panel are used to estimate poverty rates, rates of entry to and exit from poverty, and the duration of time spent in and out of poverty. The analysis focuses upon comparisons between East and West Germany, by family structure, and citizenship status. Child poverty rates have drifted upward since 1991, and have been increasing more than the rates for the overall population since the mid-1990s. In part these changes are due to increasing poverty among children from households headed by non-citizens. Children in single parent households are by all measures at considerable risk of living in poverty. There are also substantial differences in the incidence of child poverty and its dynamics between East and West Germany.
The Impact of Tax and  Transfer Systems on Children in the European Union

The Impact of Tax and Transfer Systems on Children in the European Union

AUTHOR(S)
Miles Corak; Christine Lietz; Holly Sutherland

Published: 2005 Innocenti Working Papers
The objective of this paper is to analyse the impact of fiscal policy on the economic resources available to children, and on the child poverty rate. A static microsimulation model specifically designed for the purposes of comparative fiscal analysis in the European Union, EUROMOD, is used to study the age incidence of government taxes and transfers in 2001 in 15 EU countries. Three related questions are addressed. First, what priorities are currently embodied in government budgets across age groups, and in particular to what degree do cash transfer and tax systems benefit children relative to older groups?; what fraction of the needs of children are supported by elements of the tax and transfer systems directed explicitly to them?; what impact do measures of public resources for children have on child poverty rates?
Children of International Migrants in Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines: A review of evidence and policies

Children of International Migrants in Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines: A review of evidence and policies

AUTHOR(S)
John Bryant

Published: 2005 Innocenti Working Papers
This paper considers three groups of children affected by international migration: (i) children left behind by international labour migrants from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand; (ii) children of Thai nationals in Japan; and (iii) children brought along by irregular migrants in Malaysia and Thailand. Based on the limited data available from published sources, the paper constructs preliminary estimates of numbers of children involved. It then synthesizes available evidence on problems and opportunities faced by the children, and on policies towards them. There are, however, important gaps in the available evidence. The paper identifies these gaps and suggests ways in which they might be filled.
Child Poverty in English-Speaking Countries

Child Poverty in English-Speaking Countries

AUTHOR(S)
John Micklewright

Published: 2003 Innocenti Working Papers
The paper considers child poverty in rich English-speaking countries - the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K. and Ireland. It is sometimes assumed that these countries stand out from other OECD countries for their levels of child poverty. The paper looks at the policies they have adopted to address the problem. 'Poverty' is interpreted broadly and hence the available cross-national evidence on edicational disadvantage and teenage births is considered alongside that on low household income. Discussion of policy initiatives ranges across a number of areas of government activity.
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