Abstract
In 1955, Richard Titmuss described Britain as having ‘two nations in old age’: one group relatively fortunate, benefiting from an occupational pension and being able to draw on savings privileged under the income tax, the other group receiving only the basic state pension, which left them dependent on means-tested assistance (the successor of the Poor Law). There were:
… greater inequalities in living standards after work than in work; two contrasting social services for distinct groups based on different principles, and operating in isolation of each other as separate, autonomous, social instruments of change.
(1955, p. 166)
The research on which the paper is based forms part of the Welfare State Programme at STICERD, LSE, supported by the ESRC (Programme Grant X206 32 2001). The authors thank Jane Falkingham for her assistance and participants in the Conference for their comments.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Aaron, H. (1980). Rejuvenating US Social Security. Economic Impact, Vol. 32. Washington DC.
Abel-Smith, B. (1953). The Reform of Social Security. Fabian Research Series No. 161. London: Fabian Society.
Abel-Smith, B. and Townsend, P. (1965). The Poor and the Poorest. London: G. Bell.
Altmann, R. (1982). The Incomes of the Early Retired. Journal of Social Policy, Vol. 11, pp. 355–64.
Atkinson, A.B. (1983). The Economics of Inequality (2nd edn). Oxford University Press.
Atkinson, A.B. and Micklewright, J. (1983). On the Reliability of Income Data in the Family Expenditure Survey 1970–1977. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Vol. 146, pp. 33–61.
Beveridge, Lord (1942). Social Insurance and Allied Services. London: HMSO.
Bosanquet, N. (1987). A Generation in Limbo. London: Public Policy Centre.
Bosanquet, N., Laing, W. and Propper, C. (1990). Elderly Consumers in Britain. London: Laing & Buisson.
Casey, B. and Laczko, F. (1989). Early Retired or Long-term Unemployed? Work, Employment and Society, Vol. 3, pp. 509–26.
Dawson, A. and Evans, G. (1987). Pensioners’ Incomes and Expenditure 1970–85. Employment Gazette, May, pp. 243–52.
Doeringer, P.B. and Piore, M.J. (1971). Internal Labor Markets and Manpower Analysis. Lexington, Mass.: Lexington Books.
Fields, G.S. and Mitchell, O.S. (1984). Retirement, Pensions, and Social Security. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Gordon, M.S. (1988). Social Security Policies in Industrial Countries. Cambridge University Press.
Harper, S. and Thane, P. (1989). The Consolidation of ‘Old Age’ as a Phase of Life, 1945–1965. In Jefferys, M. (ed.), Growing Old in the Twentieth Century. London: Routledge.
Kemsley, W.F.F., Redpath, R.U. and Holmes, M. (1980). Family Expenditure Survey Handbook. London: HMSO.
Laczko, F., Dale, A., Arber, S. and Gilbert, G.N. (1988). Early Retirement in a Period of High Unemployment. Journal of Social Policy, Vol. 17, pp. 313–33.
Lazear, E.P. (1979). Why Is There Mandatory Retirement? Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 87, pp. 1261–84.
Meyer, R.H. and Wise, D.A. (1983). Discontinuous Distributions and Missing Persons: The Minimum Wage and Unemployed Youth. Econometrica, Vol. 51, pp. 1677–98.
Parker, S. (1980). Older Workers and Retirement. London: HMSO.
Piachaud, D. (1986). Disability, Retirement and Unemployment of Older Men. Journal of Social Policy, Vol. 15, pp. 145–62.
Rowntree, B.S. (1901). Poverty: A Study of Town Life. London: Longman.
Royal Commission on Population (1949). Report. London: HMSO.
Thomson, D. (1989). The Welfare State and Generation Conflict: Winners and Losers. In Johnson, P., Conrad, C. and Thomson, D. (eds), Workers and Pensioners. Manchester University Press.
Titmuss, R.M. (1955). Pension Systems and Population Change. Political Quarterly, Vol. 26, pp. 152–66.
Trinder, C.G. (1989). Employment over 55. London: NIESR.
Wolfe, B., de Jong, P., Haveman, R., Halberstadt, V. and Goudswaard, K.P. (1984). Income Transfers and Work Effort: The Netherlands and the United States in the 1970s. Kyklos, Vol. 37, pp. 609–37.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 1993 A. B. Atkinson and Martin Rein
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Atkinson, A.B., Sutherland, H. (1993). Two Nations in Early Retirement? The Case of Britain. In: Atkinson, A.B., Rein, M. (eds) Age, Work and Social Security. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-22668-9_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-22668-9_6
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-22670-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-22668-9
eBook Packages: Palgrave Economics & Finance CollectionEconomics and Finance (R0)