Inter-Generational Effects of Basic Pension on Adult Children’s Subjective Well-Being

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the inter-generational effect of Basic Pension on adult children’s overall life satisfaction using the propensity score matching (PSM) and generalized difference-in-differences (GDD) design with an event study framework and 2007~2019 Korean Welfare Panel Study data. The findings of this study showed that although overall life satisfaction of the adult children was relatively improved following their parents’ receipt of Basic Pension among those whose education level was university graduation or higher, the effect was not generally found in the sample. The absence of statistically significant improvement in overall life satisfaction among the adult children in the entire sample was presumably due to the low level of Basic Pension benefits and the absence of household income pooling and resource allocation to the adult children. Further investigation of the within-household distribution of Basic Pension income in Korea is needed to understand the true effect of the policy on households. This study is the first to provide empirical evidence on the inter-generational effect of Basic Pension policies in Korea on adult children’s well-being by benefit duration, using a quasi-experimental study design.