Abstract:

Using data from several large scale longitudinal surveys, this paper investigates the relationship between older women’s families histories and their personal incomes in later life in the UK, US and West Germany, By comparing three countries with very different welfare regimes, we seek to gain a better understanding of the interaction between the life course, pension system and women’s incomes in later life. We conclude with a brief discussion of the ‘women-friendliness’ of different pension regimes in the light of our analysis.