Perception of Efficacy of Social Benefits: Evidence from the European Social Survey
Sara Paralta

Abstract
The analysis of the Welfare State in modern societies has attributed increasing relevance to the issue of population aging. The reduced number of people in the youngest generation versus the increasing senior population is triggering a process of societal aging with large consequences on social policies and economy. In other words, it poses a problem concerning long-term sustainability of the welfare state. This paper discusses some of these dimensions through an analysis of the perception of old age pensions and other social benefits as key factors of life satisfaction in some of the European countries within the European Social Models. A methodology of logistic regression applied on a sample of individuals of the European Social Survey, has been used to study the contribution of social benefits for one society with less poverty and with more fairness towards well-being. It can be concluded that individuals had predominantly positive expectations concerning the effects of social benefits in terms of poverty prevention.

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