Welfare Reform on the Web (August 2009): Social security - overseas

Another dimension of welfare reform: the implementation of the welfare insurance programme in Korea

J. Lee

International Journal of Social Welfare, vol. 18, 2009, p. 281-290

The Korean Employment Insurance Programme (EIP) launched in 1995 is a privately financed and work related contributory insurance programme. From its inception, the EIP was designed to enhance workers' skills rather than to provide income support to the unemployed. It is widely accepted that the passage of a law or the official adoption of a policy is not the end of welfare reform. The content of policy and its impact may be substantially modified, elaborated or even negated during the implementation process. This article investigates what actually happened at the local level in respect of the reform of the EIP following the economic crisis of 1997, using case studies of three district governments.

Bringing health and social policy together: the case of the Earned Income Tax Credit

P.S. Arno and others

Journal of Public Health Policy, vol. 30, 2009, p. 198-207

Low socio-economic status, measured variously in terms of poverty, education or occupation, has been repeatedly linked to a greater burden of disease in the United States. However, researchers have rarely tested whether social programmes designed to alleviate poverty are linked to health improvements for the target populations. This research explores whether the Earned Income Tax Credit, a broad-based income support programme that has been shown to increase employment and income amongst poor working families, also improves their health and access to care. Preliminary analyses presented in this article suggest that such a relationship does exist.

China's social assistance: in need of closer coordination

H. Zhang

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 29, 2009, p.227-236

This paper holds that three main issues are currently confronting the Chinese social assistance system:

1. urban and rural social assistance schemes are uncoordinated
2. minimum living standard security (MLSS) and other special schemes such as medical assistance, housing assistance and education assistance are uncoordinated
3. social assistance is not coordinated with other parts of the welfare system such as social insurance.