Should income transfers be targeted or universal? Insights from public pension influences on elderly mortality in Canada, 1921-1966

John Emery and Jesse Matheson

Canadian Journal of Economics, 2012, vol. 45, issue 1, 247-269

Abstract: We investigate the impact of Canada's means-tested and universal public pension programs on the mortality rates of age groups eligible for pension benefits for the period 1921-1966. We find that only the universal program significantly reduced pension eligible age group mortality rates. The implied social value of the mortality risk reduction from this program is one-tenth of the value per statistical life associated with contemporary government policy, meaning that Canadians did not need to place a high value on the life of a senior to justify the higher cost of the universal program. JEL classification: I3, J1

Date: 2012
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