Expenditure on social protection, Social benefits by functions, Poverty, Social exclusion, EU countries

In tackling social risks, such as poverty and social exclusion, social policy in EU countries stems from the economic potential of countries, national systems of social protection and the extent of processes of redistribution defined by the volume of social protection expenditures. The paper aims to evaluate social protection expenditure by functions with emphasis on similarities and differences and in relation to poverty and social exclusion. The research was carried out in EU countries in the period 2007-2015, using cluster and correlation analysis. The results of the cluster analysis showed a similar structure, but also marked differences of social benefits by functions. The results revealed the largest differences in the structure of social benefits between countries in the second and fourth cluster (by social benefits on old age and survivors) and countries in the first and second cluster (by social benefits on sickness/healthcare and disability and benefits on old age and survivors). The results of correlation analysis showed moderate negative relation between social protection benefits (all functions and by selected functions - sickness/healthcare, family/children, housing, social exclusion) on the one hand and income poverty and social exclusion on the other.