Social Policy of Ageing; A Comparative Study of Social Assistance for Older Adults in Selected Countries

One of the important target groups in social policy is older adults, and one of the important welfare domains for the social policy of ageing is the social assistance system. Each country has different social policies for older adults according to its welfare system. The current research is a review and comparative study. The sources of the studied data are OECD and ISSA reports. The method of selecting countries was targeted and based on the characteristics of welfare systems. The findings show that the experience of the ageing population has set the stage for convergence in the social policies of ageing, and countries have engaged in social policies of ageing regardless of their welfare ideology. In addition, the review of the experience of these countries shows that paying attention to the gender of older persons, different age groups (young-old, and old-old), marital status, individual and family income status (means test), family composition, and the health status or disability of older persons are very important in the social policy of ageing. Also, considering the role of public income transfers in reducing the poverty among older adults, it is recommended to increase the share and role of the government in the affairs of the elderly. Finally, improving the adequacy of social assistance for older persons will be very effective in improving the welfare and quality of life among older adults and preventing poverty.