The last 60 years have seen Australia and the United Kingdom diverge, both socially and economically. This paper considers how the widening social gap between the two countries is reflected by their respective redistributive systems. The analysis is based upon two microsimulation procedures —...

A dynamic microsimulation model of cohort earnings based on the Australian population aged between 20 and 55 years is described. A highly parsimonious modular structure is adopted to facilitate sensitivity analysis and enable additional characteristics to be added, should they be desired....

Means testing plays an important role in the UK state pension system. We use a dynamic programming model to consider the long-term behavioural effects of a recent policy reform that reduced the marginal tax rates on private income of means tested retirement benefits from 100% to 40%. Our...

This paper explores the pricing of annuities in a structural overlapping generations model in which the mortality rate of people when old is uncertain. A market clearing price for annuities is established below the fair price. At this price the willingness of old people to pay the young to carry...

This study uses a stylised simulation model to consider potential behavioural responses to the reduction in pension taper rates associated with replacing the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) with the Pension Credit (PC). A range of long-run responses to the policy change are identified, summarised...

We use a rational agent model of savings and labour supply to considering how consumer responses to a worsening of labour market opportunities could be influenced by the extent of private sector indebtedness. Our simulations indicate that responses to a negative labour market shock depend...