inst/app/www/content/EN/policies/policy-income.md

In WHESRi/whesApp: Builds shiny app for the Welsh Health Equity Solutions Platform

Income Security and Social Protection

Policies that ensure basic income security and reduce the adverse health and social consequences of poverty over the life-course.

Scoping overview: search criteria for the identification of key legislation and policies

Policy themes and related key words and phrases have been identified by scanning the data indicators, in addition to the terms and definitions highlighted in the chapter ‘Income Security and Social Protection’ in the WHO Health Equity Policy Tool, and by looking at synonyms or descriptions of the data and policy indicators.

| Policy Themes | Key words/phrases | | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | | (Relative) poverty | Vulnerable groups (e.g. disabled people), social protection addressing poverty, social assistance programmes, universal credit, disposable income, poverty threshold, standard of living, financial resources, human needs, deprivation, financial insecurity, low paid employment, in work poverty | | (Income) inequality | Income gap, income, disparity, social protection addressing inequality, income distribution | | Parental leave | Maternity/paternity pay, length of maternity/paternity leave, home care, unpaid parental leave | | Elderly population | Rebates for public transport, retirement, pension age | | Social assistance | Social assistance coverage, social assistance programmes, school meals, public works programmes, social pensions and fee waivers, social protection, social exclusion, housing deprivation |

Focus on key indicators

One component of the policy analysis for income security and social protection is to focus on relative poverty and social protection spending. These two key policy indicators closely align with the four data indicators as shown in table 4. Combined they have been identified as playing an important role in equity in relation to health services in Wales.

| HESR Policy Indicators | Link to HESR Data Indicator | Data indicator number | | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------- | | Relative Poverty | Percentage of the population with income below 60% of median equivalised disposable income (EUSILC or OECD) or national poverty lines (World Bank) | 77 | | | Difference in poverty rates (percentage below 60% of median income) between disabled and non-disabled people (age adjusted) | 78 | | Social protection spending | Public social protection expenditure (excluding health care) as a percentage of GDP | 80 | | | Public social protection expenditure on benefits for those of working age (including general social assistance) as a percentage of GDP | 90 |

The policy indicators and their link to health equity (including the data indicators they align with):

1. Relative Poverty This indicator measures the number of people living on or below 60% of the median household disposable income after taxes and social transfers. It is a measure of the proportion of the population exposed to income insecurity and consequently at risk of poor health. 2. Social Assistance Coverage This indicator measures the extent to which social assistance reduces financial insecurity among those with the fewest resources and supports people to access the resources and services needed to live a healthy life. Non-contributory social support such as conditional and unconditional social transfers, school meals, public works programmes, social pensions and fee waivers reduce the risk of financial hardship, for example due to housing, fuel, and food insecurity, and the consequent physical and mental health risks.

WHESRi/whesApp documentation built on Dec. 18, 2021, 6:21 p.m.