Populations across the world are rapidly ageing. But is enough being done to support the older poor? Are existing approaches to social protection adequate to respond to the entitlements and requirements of the older poor and is there enough investment in their capacities? Are the voices of the older poor being excluded systematically from participatory policy processes?

It is becoming common knowledge that populations in developing as well as developed countries are ageing rapidly. But little is known and less action is being taken on including older people in development processes. A new approach considers that poverty is inter-generational and argues that the older poor are net contributors to family and community and are not necessarily dependent. Policy should take into account the productive capacities of older men and women and support their contributions to poverty reduction.

A policy paper from HelpAge International finds that although some improvements are visible in policies of some UN agencies, donor institutions and the World Bank, there is still too little attention to and understanding of the livelihoods and potential of older poor people to contribute. It argues that an entirely new approach to the problems and prospects of the older poor is needed urgently. The paper reports that:

• The voices of the older poor are rarely heard and strategic responses to their many deprivations, as well as how their productive capacities may be enhanced, are rarely considered in policies on poverty reduction programmes.
• The shift towards rethinking social safety nets as a means of boosting the livelihoods of the poor, rather than merely protecting them, presents an important opportunity for investing in poor older people and rethinking policies accordingly.
• Approaches to poverty need to recognise that it is an inter-generational problem and that the poverty experienced throughout the course of life is likely to deepen with age.
• At the same time, older people make important social and economic contributions to multi-generational households; this is increasingly evident in AIDS-ravaged countries where older people are having to care for affected children and rear orphaned grandchildren. Older men and women invest in their families; the social pension in South Africa is widely considered to be an effective poverty reduction device.
• The productive capacities and contributions of the older poor to household well-being are often ignored or neglected: treating the older poor as entirely dependent is narrowing opportunities of family and community poverty reduction as well as missing opportunities to boost their livelihood strategies.

The paper reports that family-based coping strategies are remarkably resilient and that older people are often crucial in supporting these. Recommendations for policy-makers include:

• moving beyond traditional formal social protection approaches to invest in the productive capacities of the older poor, including building on the important role they play in multi-generational households
• the need for age-disaggregated statistics and information about the economic activities, coping strategies and needs of the older poor
• the need for the global International Plan of Action on Ageing to be considered as a means to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and related commitments of governments and international agencies
• participation by the older poor is crucial for ensuring that their needs and concerns are taken into account.

Source(s):
‘Intergenerational approaches to poverty eradication and social exclusion’, HelpAge International: London by Sylvia Beales, February 2001 (updated version available from November 2002)

id21 Research Highlight: 5 September 2002

Further Information:
Sylvia Beales
Policy Development Manager
HelpAge International
PO Box 32832
London N1 9ZN, UK

Tel: + 44 (0)20 7278 7778
Fax: + 44 (0)20 7843 1840
Contact the contributor: press@helpage.org

HelpAge International

Other related links:
'Pensions for life? The rise of pensions as a development issue' Insights #42

See id21's links page on pensions and ageing

'A ripe old age? Not much to look forward to in Ghana'

'Action against ageism: harnessing the potential of older people for development'

'Living to a ripe old age - healthcare for an ageing population'

'The age of rights? Protecting older people in an ageing world'

See Eldis links on ageing populations