Rani, Varsha and Ugargol, Allen Prabhaker creator text Economic & Political Weekly monographic eng

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61(9), Feb 28, 2026: p.85-91 India’s policy framework relies on the increasingly tenuous premise that the multigenerational household functions as a sufficient safety net. This paper critiques the conflation of household economic status with individual well-being. Using data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, we decouple the effects of financial autonomy and household structure. Stratified analysis reveals a dual reality: first, a “universal autonomy” effect, where individual income reduces distress odds across all strata, confirming that household wealth is no substitute for personal agency. Second, “sanctuary in numbers” operates as a graded necessity, existential for the poor but attenuated for the wealthy. These findings demand a paradigm shift from poverty-targeted schemes to universal social pensions that recognise financial autonomy as a distinct determinant of mental health.-Reproduced https://www.epw.in/journal/2026/9/ageing-health-and-social-security/sanctuary-numbers-or-security-personal-income.html Economic & Political Weekly 260428