Effective coverage: Thematic discussion paper for mutual learning on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed

Non-standard workers and self-employed may face problems in being effectively covered by social protection, even though they have been formally admitted to a social protection scheme. Entitlement conditions that open the right to a benefit may be designed in a manner less beneficial to non-standard workers and self-employed; likewise, some elements that determine the eventual coverage, e.g. the benefit amount and/or duration, may not be as beneficial to these groups. This paper focuses on these conditions, such as qualifying periods, waiting periods and income thresholds, which in practice hamper non-standard workers and self-employed in enjoying (full) protection.