The Programa de Pensión para Adultos Mayores (PAM), an old-age social pension in Mexico, began an expansion, both in terms of coverage – being made universal – and in terms of amounts in 2019. This has led to a reduction in the official poverty calculations for people 65 years old or older from 43.2% in 2018 to 31.1% in 2022. (See table 13 from the official calculations from Coneval.
As of 2023, beneficiaries receive 4,800 Mexican pesos (MXN) (286 USD) every two months, which is expected to increase to 6,000 MXN (358 USD) in 2024. A lump-sum death benefit is also available to eligible survivors who cared for the deceased. Importantly, people who receive other pensions, such as one from the Mexican Social Security Institute, also receive this social pension.
The program's goal is to ensure income security of all elderly persons, i.e., older than 65.
In November/December of 2023, there were 10,878,601 beneficiaries of the social pension in Mexico, according to official statistics.
In 2024, the budget for the program was MXN $465 billion,
Administration, implementation and funding at federal level by the Ministry of Social Development (SEDESOL), General Division of Care for Priority Groups.
MISs:
- Database for information collected via questionnaires: Comprehensive Information System of Social Programs (SIIPSO)
- ARGOS
- Registry of comparison: consolidated register of people covered by contributory pension of more than 1092 pesos/month compiled from the Pensions Systems;
- Tools to register beneficiaries: Web Single-Socioeconomic Information Questionnaire (CUIS) and the Complementary Questionnaire (CC), Beneficiary Acceptance Form
The PAM Program has various information systems and procedure manuals that ensure that the information requested from beneficiaries or generated from the operation of the program is systematized. Likewise, the collection is timely since, in most cases, the collection processes are done in an online system that sends the information to a central server that allows generating reports in real time as they are requested; therefore, the information is always updated and available so that decision makers at different hierarchical levels can continuously monitor the performance of the program.
To ensure the reliability of the information generated during the different processes of the PAM Program, there are validation and supervision mechanisms both in the field and in the office that allow validating the information collected and recorded in the different systems.
Regarding the relevance of the information, both the information registered and generated through the SIIPSO and ARGOS is updated information (in some cases daily), which allows the officials responsible for operating the PPAM to generate the data and information necessary to feed the indicators of the components and activities and, thus, continuously monitor their performance.
Minimum eligibility age for social pensions and household poverty: Evidence from Mexico: The program's expansion significantly reduced extreme poverty, mainly among indigenous seniors and in rural areas. These poverty effects were accompanied by a substantial increase in the labor force participation of indigenous people and individuals living in rural areas. Hence, for the most vulnerable seniors, social pensions may represent an effective instrument for engaging in small ventures and/or getting access to labor markets other than the local economy.
What are the effects of expanding a social pension program on extreme poverty and labor supply evidence from Mexico's pension program for the elderly (English): The expansion of Mexico’s Social Pension Program for the Elderly not only reduced the probability of the elderly being extreme poor, but it also reduced the extreme poverty gap, and the extreme poverty severity indexes of the elderly population. These effects on extreme poverty are gener- alizable to all individuals of the treated household. In contrast with other impact evaluations of similar programs, the analysis does not find that the expansion of Mexico’s program had a crowding out effect on domestic or international private transfers to the elderly.
The recent experience of the social pension in Mexico reinforces the idea that targeting is not a necessary condition for social programs. There is a potential role for making certain social benefits universal.
The main institution in charge of the social pension in Mexico is the [[wikipedia:Secretariat_of_Welfare_(Mexico)|Secretariat of Welfare]].
SDG 1 - No poverty
- Target 1.1 - By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day.
- Indicator 1.1.1 - Proportion of the population living below the international poverty line by sex, age, employment status and geographical location (urban/rural)
- Target 1.2 - By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.
- Indicator 1.2.1 - Proportion of population living below the national poverty line, by sex and age
- Indicator 1.2.2 - Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
- Target 1.3 - Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.
- Indicator 1.3.1 - Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims and the poor and the vulnerable
SDG 2 - Zero hunger
- Target 2.1 - By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.
- Indicator 2.1.1 - Prevalence of undernourishment
- Indicator 2.1.2 - Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)
- Target 2.2 - By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons.
- Indicator 2.2.1 - Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age
- Indicator 2.2.2 - Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)
- Indicator 2.2.3 - Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years, by pregnancy status (percentage)
SDG 1 – No poverty
- Target 1.1 – By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day.
- Indicator 1.1.1 – Proportion of the population living below the international poverty line by sex, age, employment status and geographical location (urban/rural)
- Target 1.2 – By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.
- Indicator 1.2.1 – Proportion of population living below the national poverty line, by sex and age
- Indicator 1.2.2 – Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
- Target 1.3 – Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.
- Indicator 1.3.1 – Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims and the poor and the vulnerable
SDG 2 – Zero hunger
- Target 2.1 – By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.
- Indicator 2.1.1 – Prevalence of undernourishment
- Indicator 2.1.2 – Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)
- Target 2.2 – By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons.
- Indicator 2.2.1 – Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age
- Indicator 2.2.2 – Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)
- Indicator 2.2.3 – Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years, by pregnancy status (percentage)
The Programa de Pensión para Adultos Mayores (PAM), an old-age social pension in Mexico, began an expansion, both in terms of coverage – being made universal – and in terms of amounts in 2019. This has led to a reduction in the official poverty calculations for people 65 years old or older from 43.2% in 2018 to 31.1% in 2022. (See table 13 from the official calculations from Coneval.
As of 2023, beneficiaries receive 4,800 Mexican pesos (MXN) (286 USD) every two months, which is expected to increase to 6,000 MXN (358 USD) in 2024. A lump-sum death benefit is also available to eligible survivors who cared for the deceased. Importantly, people who receive other pensions, such as one from the Mexican Social Security Institute, also receive this social pension.
The program’s goal is to ensure income security of all elderly persons, i.e., older than 65.
The recent experience of the social pension in Mexico reinforces the idea that targeting is not a necessary condition for social programs. There is a potential role for making certain social benefits universal.
Social registry
The main institution in charge of the social pension in Mexico is the [[wikipedia:Secretariat_of_Welfare_(Mexico)|Secretariat of Welfare]].
Administration, implementation and funding at federal level by the Ministry of Social Development (SEDESOL), General Division of Care for Priority Groups.
In November/December of 2023, there were 10,878,601 beneficiaries of the social pension in Mexico, according to official statistics.
In 2024, the budget for the program was MXN $465 billion,
MISs:
- Database for information collected via questionnaires: Comprehensive Information System of Social Programs (SIIPSO)
- ARGOS
- Registry of comparison: consolidated register of people covered by contributory pension of more than 1092 pesos/month compiled from the Pensions Systems;
- Tools to register beneficiaries: Web Single-Socioeconomic Information Questionnaire (CUIS) and the Complementary Questionnaire (CC), Beneficiary Acceptance Form
The PAM Program has various information systems and procedure manuals that ensure that the information requested from beneficiaries or generated from the operation of the program is systematized. Likewise, the collection is timely since, in most cases, the collection processes are done in an online system that sends the information to a central server that allows generating reports in real time as they are requested; therefore, the information is always updated and available so that decision makers at different hierarchical levels can continuously monitor the performance of the program.
To ensure the reliability of the information generated during the different processes of the PAM Program, there are validation and supervision mechanisms both in the field and in the office that allow validating the information collected and recorded in the different systems.
Regarding the relevance of the information, both the information registered and generated through the SIIPSO and ARGOS is updated information (in some cases daily), which allows the officials responsible for operating the PPAM to generate the data and information necessary to feed the indicators of the components and activities and, thus, continuously monitor their performance.