Impact of socio-economic policy changes on the position of elderly people in Belarus

In the period from 2000 to 2015 years Belarus has achieved significant increase of population income and decrease of absolute poverty. It was reached at the expense of high rates of economic growth, labor market regulation which is aimed at saving maximum employment and moderate differentiation in salary, and at the expense of features of social policy. Particularly, the system of social protection was affective in risk decline of absolute poverty among elderly people. But in the last years, budget possibilities to support existing social obligations have reduced. The government takes measures which are aimed at increase of utility service tariffs, transport and communication tariffs, in fact, freezes pensions and increases pension age. Most of these changes directly or indirectly have influence on welfare of elderly people. But the existing social protection system doesn’t suggest instruments which may allow to smooth out this negative impact.

This comment was prepared for the conference “Improving the life quality of elderly people: on the way to development of action plans on aging”. The conference was held on April 8-9, 2016 in Grodno.