Should Social Security Benefits Be Means Tested?

S-Tier
Journal: Journal of Political Economy
Year: 1987
Volume: 95
Issue: 3
Pages: 468-84

Score contribution per author:

8.043 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Social-security retirement benefits distort the saving decisions of workers who are rational enough to save for their future. Since the implicit rate of return in an unfunded social-security program is less than the marginal product of capital, the resulting decline in saving causes a welfare loss. The present paper examines the conditions under which the welfare loss can be reduced by replacing the current universal social-security program with a means-tested program that pays benefits only to those individuals with little or no other retirement income or assets. Copyright 1987 by University of Chicago Press.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:jpolec:v:95:y:1987:i:3:p:468-84
Journal Field
General
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-25