Sex, equality and the state pension

<p>The aim of this paper is to evaluate how the Castle and Fowler versions of state pension scheme in Britain treat men and women. Women\'s domestic responsibilities tend to reduce their earnings relative to men\'s, and pensions based on these unequal incomes will tend to perpetuate income inequalities into old age. Ironically it is the women who produce more members of the next generation\'s labour force who will earn less pension entitlement. </p><p>The paper pursues some illustrative simulations of lifetime earnings profiles to estimate the state pension entitlement under the two versions of SERPS (state earnings-related pension scheme).</p>