What's the Best Way to Close the Gender Gap in Retirement Incomes?

Download or read book What's the Best Way to Close the Gender Gap in Retirement Incomes? written by Brendan Coates and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 37 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many commentators advocate for more generous superannuation tax breaks to help address Australia's persistent gender gap in retirement savings and incomes. This paper argues that superannuation is simply the wrong tool to support the income of low-income women at the greatest risk of poverty in retirement, and indeed may worsen the problem. Instead, it proposes two complementary reforms: the better targeting of super tax breaks and a targeted boost to the Age Pension for retirees who do not own their own home, delivered as higher Commonwealth Rent Assistance. The paper expands upon an earler 2015 submission by the Grattan Institute to the Senate Inquiry into Economic Security for Women in Retirement, written by John Daley, Brendan Coates, and Danielle Wood.