Federal agencies that administer means-tested programs are responsible for both ensuring that people have appropriate access to assistance & ensuring the integrity of the programs they oversee. Knowing the proportion of the population that qualifies for these programs relative to the numbers who actually participate can help ensure that agencies can monitor & communicate key info. on program access. This report provides info. on: the proportion of those eligible who are participating in 12 selected low-income programs; factors that influence participation in those programs; & strategies used by fed., state, & local admin. to improve both access & integrity & whether agencies monitor access by measuring participation rates. Illus.

This comprehensive examination of pension systems in OECD and selected non-OECD countries looks at recent trends in retirement and working at older ages, evolving life expectancy, design of pension systems, pension entitlements, and private pensions before providing a series of country profiles.