ARC Success: The impact of government policy on our ageing population

Melbourne Institute awarded an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant to investigate the impact of government policy on our ageing population

The research project, conducted by Melbourne Institute in partnership with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), will investigate how changes to retirement policies have impacted employment and retirement decisions of Australians

The ARC and the ATO have contributed a combined sum of $485,505 to fund the project for three years under the ARC’s Linkage Scheme.

The project aims to assess the impact of key government reforms that were intended to ease fiscal pressures associated with the ageing population.

The study is led by Professor Roger Wilkins, Deputy Director, Melbourne Institute, Dr Cain Polidano and Associate Professor Marc Chan.

Professor Roger Wilkins
Professor Roger Wilkins

“The right mix of retirement income policies is vital to the wellbeing of retires and Australia's fiscal sustainability. However, the effectiveness of the existing policies is unknown,” said Professor Wilkins.

The research will assess tax payers’ behavioral changes following key policy implementations - including changes to the retirement age and superannuation system.

The Melbourne Institute will also work with the ATO to develop a first-of-its-kind longitudinal dataset based on tax records to facilitate research on tax and welfare systems for years to come.

“The goal of this research is to give the Government a better information base to be able to design an affordable retirement income system that meets the needs of retirees.”