The eligibility question – the real source of depersonalisation?

There have been a number of high-profile strategies over recent decades to raise social care above what is widely regarded as an unacceptable service in the United Kingdom. Quite apart from all too frequent high-profile scandals, it is seen as a service that is depersonalising and stigmatising. None of the strategies to bring about change, most of them introduced to great fanfares, have delivered the changes they promised. This article sets out a view that the reason why they have all failed is that none of them have identified or therefore tackled the underlying problem, which is the relationship between needs and resources. Underfunding has long been a serious concern for campaigning organisations. The article does not detract from that contention. However, it sets out how strategies to manage the gap between needs and resources, more than the funding gap per se, are themselves the root cause of depersonalised and chronically impoverished services. The unlikely source of these strategies can be traced to the unintended consequences of an Act of Parliament that had the best of intentions.     

论P2P网络借贷中的投资者适当性机制

投资者适当性是成熟资本市场的一种典型的投资者权益保护制度，我国证券、基金等领域已经初步构建了投资者适当性规则体系。在P2P网络借贷领域，《网络借贷信息中介机构业务活动管理暂行办法》对投资者适当性的规定，主要体现在平台的提醒义务、尽职评估义务、分级义务，但仍难以满足P2P网络借贷投资者权益保护的需要。我国有必要在借鉴域外投资者适当性制度和我国传统金融行业的投资者适当性规则的基础上，以公平投资、信息保护、多元治理等原则为统率，以制定法为主导，把细化分级管理规定和明确平台合适推荐义务作为两大重点，并在行业协会自律监管、投资者教育、法律责任机制、网络仲裁等多个方面进行补充，以形成一个多层次、全方位的投资者适当性制度体系。     

Nepal's Child Grant: A mixed‐methods assessment of implementation bottlenecks

This article evaluates the implementation of the Child Grant, one of the major social protection interventions in Nepal, and identifies bottlenecks that limit its ultimate effectiveness. On the whole, while delivery works for many beneficiaries, we found inconsistencies between the way the policy is laid out on paper, and the way it is actually implemented. Targeting efficiency is high, despite the wealth targeting criterion not being applied in practice. Owing to informal awareness‐raising campaigns, beneficiaries’ knowledge on registration, eligibility and entitlement is patchy. Payment levels vary and tend to be infrequent. These implementation bottlenecks limit the Grant's effectiveness and temper some of its impact potential.     

The need to bring an end to the era of eligibility policies for a person-centred,financially sustainable future

Attention within the social care sector in England is moving away from consumerist notions of choice towards good professional practice as the route to personalisation. This demands a new focus on how to make practice that is person-centred the norm. The following sets out that this is unlikely to happen until the use of eligibility policies is ended. The lessons are relevant not only to England, but to other countries who may be looking to the United Kingdom as pioneering in the personalisation agenda.     

The effectiveness of Luxembourg's minimum guaranteed income

Using micro‐data for the year 2007, this article analyzes the effectiveness of Luxembourg's minimum guaranteed income (revenu minimum garanti — RMG) social assistance programme. First, we examine the effectiveness of the RMG by comparing the proportion of eligible households based on the different criteria for the years 2007 and 1986, and find that, in 2007, 5.5 per cent of households were eligible versus 3.75 per cent in 1986. A relaxation of the RMG's eligibility criteria implies that more low‐income households should have access to the RMG. As a second measure of programme effectiveness, the article estimates the extent of non‐takeup behaviour among those eligible for the RMG in 2007. It is found that just over 65 per cent of all households potentially entitled to the RMG do not claim. Regression analysis of the potential determinants of non‐takeup behaviour confirms the hypotheses derived from theoretical models in the literature, i.e. that rational motivation, such as the expected net utility from claiming, and stigma, play a major role in explaining levels of non‐takeup.     

Provider Dilemmas with Relocation in Assisted Living

Abstract

Support for increasing tenant frailty in assisted living (AL) is a complex and challenging issue. Philosophically, older persons, families, providers, and policymakers want to avoid unnecessary relocation. However, there is considerable opportunity for inconsistency in practice. We examined provider perspectives related to implementing aging-in-place, using information obtained from an evaluation of a three-year AL demonstration project in Illinois. We found differences in approaches to explicit move-out criteria, the actual application of move-out criteria, and provider willingness to develop flexible service plans. These findings raise questions for consideration in all states confronted with implementing the philosophy and intent of AL.     

Second Thoughts: Who Almost Participates in an IDA Program?

ABSTRACT

Using data reported on applications to a large individual development account (IDA) program (N = 758), the purpose of this study is to examine the self-selection process. Persons who applied to the program but did not enroll had second thoughts about the IDA. Multivariate logistic regression showed that children in the household and negative net worth along with vehicle nonownership were positively related to second thoughts. Education-savers were more likely than home-savers and business-savers to have second thoughts. This information can be used to target individuals at risk of not enrolling in IDAs, ultimately expanding access to underserved, low-income households. Future research is needed to understand how IDA recruitment strategies and institutional characteristics affect program participation and second thoughts.     

Eschew Obfuscation in Discussing Political Correctness

ABSTRACT

Despite the spectrum of available resources, homelessness is a persistent societal and public health challenge throughout the United States and in San Diego County. Beginning in January 2014, San Diego began the integration of a Coordinated Entry System into its homeless system-of-care. This historical prospective study examined the predictors of establishing eligibility for permanent housing resources among 15,042 single homeless adults enrolled in the Coordinated Entry System Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to assess the relationship between client vulnerability as measured by the triage tool VI-SPDAT and establishing client eligibility for permanent housing. Overall, being of moderate or high vulnerability was associated with establishing eligibility for a permanent housing resource. Veterans established eligibility faster and more frequently than others, regardless of their vulnerability score. However, the demand for services far outweighed the ability of the system to respond to those with moderate to high vulnerability. More housing navigators and fewer client “hand-offs” between housing professionals are recommended to increase the efficiency of the process. Additional research examining the second and third steps is also needed to more fully understand the factors that promote permanent housing solutions for those seeking services.     

公司发起人的资格 --为未成年人辩护

公司是现代社会最重要的企业组织形态，在我国经济生活中扮演着举足轻重的角色。公司成立必须具备合格的股东、法定最低限额资本和订立公司章程(人、物、行为)三大要件。各国法律对公司设立股东本身的资格存在不同的规定。我国传统习惯认为自然人应具有完全行为能力才能充任公司发起人。作者对此问题提出质疑，并就自然人中的特殊群体——未成年人作为公司发起人的可行性进行探讨。     

Including informal economy workers in contributory social protection: Current challenges in Latin America

Owing to a favourable economic situation and to national labour market and social protection policy reforms, Latin America has witnessed significant progress in social protection coverage. Some countries, however, have seen weaker progress, with stagnant coverage levels. Several factors underlie the extension of pensions and health care coverage and the formalization of the labour market: substantial improvements in the quality of employment, more flexible eligibility criteria for contributory coverage, and the strengthening of the supervisory and regulatory roles of the State. This article first addresses the link between social protection and informality in Latin America to show the relationship between informal labour markets, the lack of social protection and the scale of unpaid contributions. Also highlighted is regional progress in extending social protection as a result of labour market formalization. Countries in the region have used various policies to encourage formalization and these have also helped to reduce wage inequalities, since formalization has had especially beneficial effects on low‐income sectors. Finally, we discuss dichotomous views on social protection financing in the region that tend to place contributory and non‐contributory financing in opposition to one another but do so in favour of the latter, tend to support proposals for limited coverage, and which do not challenge the stratification of access to social protection. The move towards a convergence of benefits is deemed essential: strategies to universalize social protection in the region should not focus exclusively on increasing resources, but must address institutional change as a crucial part of the locus of innovation.