"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of.....old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control."

UN Declaration of Human Rights. Article 25

HelpAge International has been campaigning for more than two decades for the rights of older people. In this time we have amassed a wealth of evidence on the importance and impact of social pensions.

Links to some of the more recent evidence and thinking is provided below:-

Why social pensions are needed now

Short briefing on the importance of pensions for realising older people's rights, reducing poverty, dealing with HIV/AIDS and effectively targeting the most vulnerable.

Read the introduction

Making Cash Count

This study reviews unconditional cash transfers in 15 countries of east and southern Africa. It examines four programmes in more depth (in Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique and Zambia), and draws lessons for policy from this comparative review. It considers different schemes operated by NGOs and governments. It also discusses the merits of cash transfers vs. other aid such as food aid.

Read the executive summary

Non-contributory pensions and poverty prevention

This report looks at the impact of pensions on poverty in South Africa and Brazil. The researchers found that non-contributory pension programmes have a significant impact on poverty. In the absence of non-contributory pension programmes, the poverty headcount and the poverty gap would be appreciably higher for households with older people. The impact on the poverty gap is much larger for the poorer households. The programmes significantly reduce the probability that individuals in households with a pension recipient will be in poverty.

Read the executive summary

Social cash transfers for Africa

Social cash transfers for Africa reports the proceedings of a conference of 13 African governments convened to discussing cash transfers.

The conference culminated in the Livingstone call for action which recognises the feasibility of cash transfer programmes and calls for their introduction.

Read the executive summary

Age and security

Investigates the effect of pensions on chronic poverty reduction and describes the impact of cash transfers in low income countries

Read the executive summary

Population, ageing and development

Report of the proceedings of a seminar discussing the means by which universal social protection measures for older persons might be both a basic development tool and a core mechanism to ensure the rights of older persons to development. Contributors include Joseph Stiglizt.

Read the executive summary