Social Protection of Older People in the Era of Global Crises

Abstract

The growing frequency and scale of global crises significantly affect the functioning of social protection systems, particularly in relation to older persons. The purpose of the article is to identify the patterns of influence of different types of global crises on the development of social protection systems for older people and to substantiate directions for their adaptation in the context of Ukraine. The methodological framework is based on the integration of historical, comparative, and systemic approaches. The historical method is applied to trace the evolution of pension systems and social support mechanisms; the comparative method is used to analyze cross-country responses to crisis phenomena; the systemic method enables the development of a typology of crisis factors according to their channels of impact on social protection systems. The results of the study demonstrate that global crises act as key drivers of transformation in social policy. It is established that armed aggression leads to the expansion of state-guaranteed social protection; economic crises reveal the limitations of private provision mechanisms and stimulate the development of social insurance systems; demographic ageing increases fiscal pressure and necessitates a transition to multi-pillar pension models; and pandemics accelerate the decentralization and digitalization of social services. The article proposes a typology of crises based on dominant channels of impact, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of their consequences for social protection systems. It is determined that the current situation in Ukraine is characterized by a combination of demographic, fiscal, and infrastructural shocks that reinforce each other. Conclusions indicate that improving the effectiveness of social protection systems for older persons under crisis conditions requires diversification of funding sources, development of community-based social service infrastructure, and strengthening cooperation between the state and international organizations. The study substantiates the necessity of introducing a funded pension component and forming an adaptive social policy model capable of functioning under multidimensional crisis pressures.