Public Pension Scheme Provisions and Perceived Financial Well-Being: The Case of Primary School Teachers in Wakiso District, Uganda

Purpose: This study investigates the contribution of public pension scheme provisions to the perceived financial well-being of retiring primary school teachers in Uganda’s Wakiso District. Design/methodology/approach: Using a mixed-methods approach that combined a survey of 226 teachers and nine qualitative interviews, the study applied correlation and regression analyses to assess five key indicators: Security, Sustainability, Expansion, Adequacy, and Commitment. Findings: The results show that adequacy and expansion of the pension scheme significantly predict perceived financial well-being, whereas security, sustainability, and commitment do not. The study recommends that policymakers enhance the adequacy and reach of pension provisions to better support financial well-being in retirement. Research limitations/implications: Given its cross-sectional design and the limited timeframe of 2018 to 2023, future research could benefit from a broader scope, such as a national study of secondary school teachers, employing a triangulation approach through interviews for greater generalizability. Practical implications: To improve the financial well-being of retiring teachers, policymakers should focus on enhancing the adequacy and expansion of pension provisions, ensuring the timely and equitable disbursement of benefits to eligible retirees. Originality/value: This is one of the few studies that focus on testing the moderating effects of readiness to change jobs on the relationship between public pension scheme provisions and perceived financial wellbeing in Uganda’s lower education system.

• Public Pension Scheme Provisions
• Perceived Financial Wellbeing
• Readiness to Change Jobs

1. Introduction

This study explored the relationship between public pension scheme provisions and the perceived financial well-being of retiring primary school teachers in Wakiso District. The research aimed to assess how various elements of pension schemes, including coverage, adequacy, sustainability, efficiency, and security, impact the financial stability and quality of life for retirees. This chapter presents descriptive statistics, correlations, linear regression, study findings, implications, and limitations of the study. The study concludes with recommendations for policy improvements to enhance the financial security of retiring teachers, emphasizing the importance of robust pension management and supportive structures to ensure a dignified retirement.

Readiness for change of jobs entails assessing retiring teachers’ readiness, inclination, and capability to start a new career path.

To guide the analysis, five key dimensions of the public pension scheme provisions were used:

2. Methodology

This study employed a cross-sectional survey design complemented by qualitative inquiry. A sample of 232 teachers from government-aided primary schools in Wakiso District, all within ten years of retirement, was selected using proportionate and simple random sampling techniques. A total of 226 valid responses were obtained, representing a 97% response rate. Additionally, nine qualitative interviews were conducted. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and simple regression to test hypotheses. The qualitative data were analyzed thematically to complement and validate the quantitative findings.

Response rate

This study targeted a sample of 232 teachers ready to retire in Wakiso district to enable the researcher to reach conclusive results ( Table 1 ).

Table 1

Table 1. Response rate.

Distributed Questionnaires	Returned	Response rate
232	226	97%

Source: Primary data (2024).

Of the planned 14 interviews, the researcher managed to conduct only 9 interviews. This represented a success rate of 64.3%.

Demographic characteristics

This section displays and discusses the demographic attributes of the study participants ( Table 2 ).

Table 2

Table 2. Summary of key characteristics of respondents.

Aspect	Particulars	Frequency	Percentage
Respondents’ Gender	Male	83	36.7
	Female	143	63.3
Age Bracket	45 to 49	47	20.8
	50 to 55	131	58.0
	56 to 60	48	21.2
Family Status	Married	166	73.5
	Single	60	26.5
Education Level	Certificate	61	27.0
	Diploma	123	54.4
	Bachelors	37	16.4
	Post graduate diploma	3	1.3
	Masters	2	.9
Years Worked as a PT	Less than 1 year	2	.9
	1 to 5	26	11.5
	6 to 10	31	13.7
	Over 10 Years	167	73.9
Current Position	Teacher	118	52.2
	Head of department	80	35.4
	Deputy	20	8.8
	Headteacher	8	3.5
Time to Retirement	Between 1 and 3 years	48	21.2
	Between 4 and 7 years	101	44.7
	Between 8 and 10 years	77	34.1

Source: Primary Data (2024).

Study results ably demonstrate that 83 (36.7%) were male, while 143 (63.3%) respondents were female, and the study was thus enriched by having both gender perspectives captured. The study established that the age distribution proved that the respondents were mature people who would enrich the study with their experiences. Additionally, the study consisted of mature individuals, of whom 73.5% were married. The study established that 73% of the respondents were diploma holders and above. This indicated that all respondents were qualified enough to respond to the items in the questionnaire. The study results further showed that 167 (73.9%) had taught for over 10 years, 31 (13.7%) had taught 6 to 10 years, 26 (11.5%) had taught between 1 and five years, and only 2 (0.9%) had taught less than a year in their current school. This showed they had sufficient experience to ably comment on the subject matter. The study further noted that 118 (52.2%) were classroom teachers, 80 (35.4%) were deputy head teachers, 20 (8.8%) were heads of department, while 8 (3.5%) were head teachers. This finding illustrates that study participants were taken from the three main components in a primary school structure. Finally, 101 (44.7%) expected to retire within the next 4 to 7 years, 77 (34.1%) expected to retire within 8 to 10 years, and 48 (21.2%) expected to retire within 1 to 3 years. Thus, these respondents were fully qualified to answer questions relating to the relationship between public pension scheme provisions and perceived financial well-being of retiring primary school teachers in Wakiso district.

Descriptive Analysis

According to the conceptual framework, coverage of pension scheme is the first dimension of the public pension scheme provisions. The dependent variable is perceived financial well-being. Description of these variables follows in the next two sub-sections.

Descriptive Statistics on Coverage of Pension Scheme

Coverage of pension scheme constituted one of the public pension scheme provisions. The section provides a detailed presentation of the descriptive statistics on this variable. The respondents were introduced to different items and their sentiments were tabled, using the 5-point Likert scale.

Primary data (2024)

The previous Table 3 contains viewpoints of study participants regarding coverage of the pension scheme. Most respondents agreed with statements on coverage of the pension scheme, as reflected by the average mean score of (3.52). There were low variations in the mean score, as reflected by the standard deviation score of (0.948), because average S.D < 1.00. Other highlights of the table indicate:

The respondents further concurred that the public service pension scheme covers all primary school teachers who are eligible. The mean attained (3.72) indicates agreement with the statement, but a standard deviation score of (1.075) is indicative of a wide dispersion among the responses. The implication of the finding is that the local government in Wakiso has done some sensitization work and retiring teachers are aware of details such as eligibility.

Table 3

Table 3. Descriptive statistics on coverage of pension scheme.

Items	Mean	S.D
Coverage is the number of people enrolled in the pension scheme as a percentage of the employed population.	3.35	0.809
The public service pension scheme covers all primary school teachers who are eligible.	3.72	1.075
The Wakiso district leadership is committed to increasing coverage of the pension scheme.	3.46	0.860
The Wakiso district budget reflects a yearly increase in coverage of the pension scheme.	3.54	0.864
Wakiso district involves the teacher’s union in discussing coverage of the pension scheme.	3.51	0.958
Wakiso teachers are regularly informed about the proposed expansion of coverage of the pension scheme.	3.43	1.061
Wakiso District Education Service is one of the parties that determine the coverage of the pension scheme.	3.56	1.019
Wakiso teachers have a representative who represents them on the district service commission regarding coverage of the pension scheme.	3.58	0.950
Wakiso District has a policy governing the coverage of the public pension scheme.	3.62	0.931
Wakiso district policy governing coverage of the pension scheme is revised regularly.	3.44	0.951
Summarized Means and SDs	3.52	0.948

Most respondents agreed that Wakiso district has a policy governing the coverage of the public pension scheme. The mean score of (3.62) indicates agreement with the statement, and the standard deviation of (0.931), however, is below 1.0, which is indicative of a low dispersion among responses. The implication is that coverage of the pension scheme in the district is guided by policy.

Descriptive Statistics on the Adequacy of Pension Scheme

Adequacy of Pension Scheme constituted one of the public pension scheme provisions. The section provides a detailed presentation of the descriptive statistics on this variable. To understand the adequacy of the pension scheme, the respondents were introduced to different items and their sentiments were recorded using the 5-point Likert scale.

Primary data (2024)

Table 4 contains viewpoints of study participants regarding the adequacy of the pension scheme. Many respondents agreed with statements on the adequacy of the pension scheme, as reflected in the average mean score of (3.47). There were low variations in the mean score, as reflected by the standard deviation score of (0.947) because average S.D < 1.00. Other highlights of the table indicate:

Many respondents agreed that the public service pension scheme is adequate for all primary school teachers that are eligible. The mean score of (3.70) indicates agreement with the statement, and a standard deviation score of (1.057) is below 1.0, which is indicative of a narrow dispersion of responses. The implication of the finding is that retiring teachers are aware of the terms of eligibility to be put on a public pension scheme.

Table 4

Table 4. Descriptive statistics on adequacy of pension scheme.

Items	Mean	S. D
Adequacy of the scheme refers to the sufficiency of the pension scheme to meet retirees’ basic needs.	3.62	0.968
The public service pension scheme is adequate for all primary school teachers who are eligible.	3.70	1.057
Wakiso district leadership is committed to increasing the adequacy of the pension scheme.	3.38	0.969
Wakiso district budget reflects a yearly increase in adequacy of the pension scheme.	3.53	0.985
Wakiso district involves the teachers’ union in discussing the adequacy of the pension scheme.	3.46	1.007
Wakiso teachers are regularly informed about the proposed expansion of adequacy of the pension scheme.	2.78	0.982
Wakiso District Education Service is one of the parties that determines the adequacy of the pension scheme.	3.40	0.865
Wakiso teachers have a representative who represents them on the district service commission regarding adequacy of the pension scheme.	3.45	0.947
Wakiso District has a policy governing the adequacy of the public pension scheme.	3.74	0.759
The Wakiso district policy governing the adequacy of the pension scheme is revised regularly.	3.59	0.930
Summarized Means and SDs	3.47	0.947

Many study participants agreed that Wakiso teachers are regularly informed about the proposed expansion of the adequacy of the pension scheme. The mean score of (2.78) is indicative of disagreement with the statement. The standard deviation score of (0.982) is below 1.0, which is indicative of a narrow dispersion of responses. The implication of the finding is that retiring teachers in the Wakiso district are not regularly informed about the proposed expansion of the adequacy of the pension scheme. The district leadership needs to address the anomaly.

Descriptive Statistics on Sustainability of the Pension Scheme

Sustainability of the Pension Scheme constituted one of the public pension scheme provisions. The section provides a detailed presentation of the descriptive statistics on this variable. To understand the sustainability of the pension scheme, the respondents were introduced to different items and their sentiments were tabled using the 5-point Likert scale.

Primary data (2024)

The previous Table 5 contains viewpoints of study participants regarding the sustainability of the pension scheme. Many respondents agreed with statements on the sustainability of the pension scheme, as reflected by the average mean score of (3.51). There were low variations in the mean score, reflected by the standard deviation score of (0.969), because the average S.D < 1.00. Other highlights of the table indicate:

Specifically, many respondents agreed that a sustainable pension scheme delivers the promised benefits over a long period of time. The mean score of (3.70) indicates agreement with the statement. A standard deviation of (0.913) is below (1.0), which is indicative of a narrow dispersion among responses to the statement above. The implication of the finding is that retiring teachers in Wakiso district are aware of the benefits of having a sustainable public pension scheme.

Table 5

Table 5. Descriptive statistics on the sustainability of the pension scheme.

Items	Mean	S. D
A sustainable pension scheme delivers the promised benefits over a long period of time.	3.70	0.913
The public service pension scheme is sustainable for all primary school teachers who are eligible.	3.77	0.992
Wakiso District leadership is committed to increasing the sustainability of the pension scheme.	3.62	0.918
Wakiso district budget reflects a yearly increase in sustainability of the pension scheme.	3.53	0.900
Wakiso district involves the teacher’s union in discussing the sustainability of the pension scheme.	3.54	0.904
Wakiso teachers are regularly informed about the proposed expansion of sustainability of the pension scheme.	3.39	1.049
Wakiso District Education Service is one of the parties that determine the sustainability of the pension scheme.	3.35	1.094
Wakiso teachers have a representative who represents them on the district service commission regarding sustainability of the pension scheme.	3.30	1.065
Wakiso District has a policy governing the sustainability of the public pension scheme.	3.40	0.919
The Wakiso district policy governing the sustainability of the pension scheme is revised regularly.	3.50	0.935
Summarized Means and SDs	3.51	0.969

Many study participants agreed that the public service pension scheme is sustainable for all primary school teachers who are eligible. The mean score of (3.77) is indicative of agreement with the above statement. A standard deviation score of (0.992) is proof of small dispersion among responses. The implication of the finding is that retiring teachers of Wakiso district are aware that the public pension scheme is sustainable for all teachers who meet the minimum requirement to be on it.

Descriptive Statistics on the Efficiency of the Pension Scheme

Efficiency of Pension Scheme constituted one of the public pension scheme provisions. This section provides a detailed presentation of the descriptive statistics on this variable. To understand the efficiency of the pension scheme, the respondents were introduced to different items and their sentiments were collected using the 5-point Likert scale.

Primary data (2025)

The previous Table 6 contains the viewpoints of study participants regarding the efficiency of the pension scheme. Most respondents agreed with statements on the efficiency of the pension scheme, as reflected by the average mean score of (3.61). There were low variations in the mean score, as reflected by the standard deviation score of (0.920), because the average S.D < 1.00. Other highlights of the table indicate:

Many respondents agreed that the pension scheme can be efficiently accessed by all primary school teachers who are eligible. The mean score of (3.71) shows agreement with the statement. A standard deviation of (0.860) is below 1.0, which is indicative of a narrow dispersion among responses. The implication of the finding is that retiring teachers know that if their details are captured in the system, they will be able to receive a pension upon formal retirement from the service, as the system is efficient.

Table 6

Table 6. Descriptive statistics on the efficiency of the pension scheme.

Items	Mean	S. D
Efficiency of the pension scheme refers to the ratio between the amount of benefits and the amount of contributions.	3.46	0.800
The pension scheme can be efficiently accessed by all primary school teachers who are eligible.	3.71	0.860
Wakiso district leadership is committed to increasing the efficiency of the pension scheme.	3.55	0.914
Wakiso district budget reflects the correct rate of return in terms of efficiency.	3.60	0.865
Wakiso district audits the pension scheme in terms of efficiency.	3.65	0.836
Wakiso teachers are regularly informed about the current efficiency of the pension scheme.	3.59	1.059
Wakiso District Education Service is one of the parties that determine the efficiency of the pension scheme.	3.62	1.053
Wakiso teachers have a representative who represents them on the district service commission regarding the efficiency of the pension scheme.	3.65	0.974
Wakiso District has a policy governing the efficiency of the public pension scheme.	3.70	0.902
The Wakiso district policy governing the efficiency of the pension scheme is revised regularly.	3.58	0.935
Summarized Means and SDs	3.61	0.920

Many study participants agreed that Wakiso district has a policy governing the efficiency of the public pension scheme. The mean score of (3.70) shows agreement with the statement. The standard deviation score of (0.902) shows a narrow dispersion in responses, as the score is below 1.0. The implication of the finding is that the efficiency of the public pension scheme in Wakiso district is guided by policy.

Descriptive Statistics on Security of Pension Schemes

Security of pension scheme constituted one of the public pension scheme provisions. The section provides a detailed presentation of the descriptive statistics on this variable. To understand security of pension scheme, the respondents were introduced to different items and their sentiments were recorded using the 5-point Likert scale.

Primary data (2024)

The previous Table 7 contains the viewpoints of study participants regarding the security of the pension scheme. Most respondents agreed with the statements on the security of the pension scheme, as reflected in the average mean score of (3.53). There were low variations in the mean score, as reflected by the standard deviation score of (0.899), because the average S.D < 1.00. Other highlights of the table indicate:

Specifically, most respondents agreed that security of the pension scheme refers to the minimization of risks that pension funds are not lost or misappropriated. The mean score of (3.70) shows agreement with the statement. The standard deviation of (0.973) is below 1.0, which is proof of a narrow dispersion among responses. The implication of this finding is that retiring teachers are reassured by the security measures in place regarding the public pension scheme.

Table 7

Table 7. Descriptive statistics on security of pension scheme.

Items	Mean	S. D
Security of the pension scheme refers to the minimization of risks that pension funds are not lost or misappropriated.	3.70	0.973
The public service pension scheme is secure for all primary school teachers who are eligible.	3.76	0.970
Wakiso District leadership is committed to increasing the security of the pension scheme.	3.54	0.934
Wakiso district budget reflects a yearly increase in security of the pension scheme.	3.54	0.957
Wakiso district involves the teachers’ union in discussing the security of the pension scheme.	3.59	0.906
Wakiso teachers are regularly informed about the proposed expansion of security of the pension scheme.	3.60	1.054
Wakiso district Education Service is one of the parties that determine the security of the pension scheme.	3.66	0.911
Wakiso teachers have a representative who represents them on the district service commission regarding security of the pension scheme.	3.03	0.714
Wakiso District has a policy governing the security of the public pension scheme.	3.35	0.799
Wakiso district policy governing the security of the pension scheme is revised regularly.	3.51	0.767
Summarized Means and SDs	3.53	0.899

Many study participants agreed that the public service pension scheme is secure for all primary school teachers who are eligible. The mean score of (3.76) shows agreement with the above statement. The standard deviation score of (0.970) is below 1.0, which is proof of a narrow dispersion among responses. The implication of this finding is that retiring teachers are aware that, on retirement, the pension they receive will be secure.

Chapter five presents outcomes on objective one, which assessed the contribution of the public pension scheme provisions to the perceived financial wellbeing of retiring primary school teachers in Wakiso district. The null hypothesis tested in line with the objective was that:

H₁: There is no statistically significant contribution of the public pension scheme to the perceived financial wellbeing of retiring primary school teachers in Wakiso district.

Hypothesis 1 explored the association between Public Pension Scheme Provisions and Perceived Financial Wellbeing. Results in Table 8 indicate a positive and significant association (r = .168, p ≤ 0.05). This finding negates H₁, which stated that “Public Pension Scheme Provisions is not significantly associated with Financial Wellbeing.” The results support the alternate hypothesis, which stated, “Public Pension Scheme Provisions is significantly associated with perceived Financial Wellbeing.” This implies that a change of 1 SD in Public Pension Scheme Provisions is associated with a change of 0.168 SDs in perceived Financial Wellbeing. These findings are further confirmed by the quantitative findings. For example, see below.

Table 8

Table 8. Correlation analysis public pension scheme provisions and perceived financial wellbeing of retiring primary school teachers in Wakiso District.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Security of PPSP (1)	1
Sustainability of PPSP (2)	.431**	1
Expansion of the PPSP (3)	.320**	.215**	1
Adequacy of PPSP (4)	.336**	.155*	.199**	1
Commitment to PPSP (5)	.461**	.388**	.185**	.251**	1
Public Pension Scheme Provisions (6)	.767**	.693**	.550**	.582**	.701**	1
Financial wellbeing (7)	.076	.081	−.082	.302**	.159*	.168*	1

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). *. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

Interviewee number 5, when asked whether Public Pension Scheme Provisions contribute to perceived financial wellbeing, commented that…

“…The provisions are well formulated and if well followed generally result in fairly decent financial well-being for retirees… The only challenge, however, is that the district office in charge of ensuring the process kicks off in time is slow at times… This results in primary school teachers retiring and remaining in limbo for some time without receiving their retirement benefits three to four years after retiring, which is absolutely unacceptable…”

(Interviewee 5, Wakiso District, 2024)

The researcher further explored the association between the indicators of the independent variable, public pension scheme provisions, and the dependent variable, perceived financial wellbeing.

The first indicator was Security of Public Pension Scheme Provisions. Results from Table 8 show that there is no significant association between Security of Public Pension Scheme Provisions and perceived financial wellbeing (r = .076, p ≥ 0.05). This finding supports the null hypothesis (H_1a) which stated that “Security of Public Pension Scheme Provisions is not significantly associated with Financial Wellbeing.” This implies that changes in Security of Public Pension Scheme Provisions are not associated with a change in perceived financial wellbeing. These findings are further confirmed by the quantitative findings. For example, see below; interviewee number 7 on security of public pension scheme provisions and whether it boosts financial wellbeing comments thus…

“…security aspects of public pension scheme provisions are not automatically related to the financial wellbeing of retirees…this is because, by the time the original policy governing public pension scheme provisions was formulated, it was before the advent of computers…it is worth noting that the provisions were updated, but the security measures to keep the data protected were not…”

(Interviewee 7, Wakiso District, 2024)

The second indicator was Sustainability of Public Pension Scheme Provisions. Results from Table 8 show that there is no significant association between Sustainability of Public Pension Scheme Provisions and Financial Wellbeing (r = .081, p ≥ 0.05). This finding supports the null hypothesis (H_1b), which stated that “Sustainability of Public Pension Scheme Provisions is not significantly associated with perceived Financial Wellbeing.” This implies that changes in Sustainability are not associated with changes in perceived Financial Wellbeing. However, the quantitative finding differs from the qualitative findings. For example, see below: Interviewee number 8, on how Sustainability of Public Pension Scheme Provisions can lead to financial wellbeing, commented that…

“…I would like to inform the retiring primary school teacher’s of Wakiso district that the public pension scheme provisions are intact and nothing in the provisions, like the amount of pension they receive, will be changed as the process of revising the provisions is clear and cannot be easily abused…”

(Interviewee 8, Wakiso District, 2024)

The third indicator was Expansion of Public Pension Scheme Provisions. Results from Table 8 show that there is no significant association between Expansion of Public Pension Scheme Provisions and perceived financial wellbeing (r= −.082, p ≥ 0.05). First of all, the association is negative. Fortunately, it is non-significant. This finding supports the null hypothesis (H_1c) which stated that “Expansion of Public Pension Scheme Provisions is not significantly associated with perceived Financial Wellbeing.” This implies that changes in Expansion are not associated with changes in perceived financial wellbeing. This quantitative finding does not differ from the qualitative findings. For example, see below.

Interviewee number 6 on whether the expansion of public pension scheme provisions leads to perceived financial wellbeing contends that…

“…there is understandable concern and pessimism regarding the expansion of public pension scheme provisions…this is essentially because the categories of retiring civil servants it caters for are few and cannot be changed unless through the alteration or amendment of the attendant laws…”

(Interviewee 6, Wakiso District, 2024)

The fourth indicator was the adequacy of public pension scheme provisions. Results from Table 8 show that there is a significant association between the adequacy of public pension scheme provisions and perceived financial wellbeing (r = .302, p ≤ 0.01). This finding does not support the null hypothesis (H_1d), which stated that “adequacy of public pension scheme provisions is not significantly associated with financial wellbeing.” This implies that a change of 1 SD in the adequacy of public pension scheme provisions is associated with a change of 0.302 SDs in financial wellbeing. This quantitative finding is supported by the qualitative findings. For example, see below:

Interviewee number 4, on whether the adequacy of public pension scheme provisions can boost perceived financial wellbeing, remarked that…

“…I agree it is not ideal, but when compared to their counterparts who teach in private primary schools, their lot is a lot better…however, I would like to suggest that there is a need to continuously revise the amounts of pension due to retired primary school teachers due to things like headline inflation and rising costs…”

(Interviewee 4, Wakiso District, 2024)

The fifth indicator was commitment to public pension scheme provisions. Results from Table 8 show that there is a significant association between commitment to public pension scheme provisions and perceived financial wellbeing (r = .159, p ≤ 0.05). This finding does not support the null hypothesis (H_1e), which stated that “commitment to public pension scheme provisions is not significantly associated with perceived financial wellbeing.” The results support the alternative hypothesis, which stated “commitment to public pension scheme provisions is significantly associated with financial wellbeing.” This implies that a change of 1 SD in commitment to public pension scheme provisions is associated with a change of 0.159 SDs in financial wellbeing. This quantitative finding does not differ from the qualitative findings. For example, see below.

Interviewee number 5, on whether commitment to public pension scheme provisions can lead to better perceived financial wellbeing, commented that…

“…without the requisite amount of commitment, the witnessed improvement in financial well-being of retired primary school teachers in Wakiso district may not have been possible…”

(Interviewee 5, Wakiso District, 2024)

Regression Analysis Results

The researcher proceeded to test the same hypotheses using simple regression analysis. The results are found in Table 7 and Table 8 .

Table 9 shows tabulated results of the composite variable public pension scheme provisions being regressed against perceived financial wellbeing. The R Square of 0.028 is significant at p = 0.011, which means that public pension scheme provisions account for 2.8% of the variance observed in financial wellbeing. 92.8% of the variance observed is caused by other factors yet to be determined. This finding negates the null hypothesis (H₁) which stated that “public pension scheme provisions are not significantly associated with perceived financial wellbeing”. The results support the alternate hypothesis which stated, “Public pension scheme provisions are significantly associated with perceived financial wellbeing”. This quantitative finding does not differ from the qualitative findings. For example, see below:

Interviewee number 2, on whether public pension scheme provisions can increase perceived financial wellbeing, remarked that…

“…the provisions are designed to ensure that the scheme is robust and capable of withstanding a number of external shocks to ensure that the perceived financial well-being of retired primary school teachers remains intact…”

(Interviewee 2, Wakiso District, 2024)

Table 9

Table 9. Regression analysis results for Public Pension Scheme Provisions and perceived financial well-being.

Coefficients
Model		Unstandardized Coefficients		Standardized Coefficients	t	Sig.	95.0% Confidence Interval for B
		B	Std. Error	Beta		Lower Bound	Upper Bound
1	(Constant)	3.289	.242		13.596	.000	2.813	3.766
	Public Pension Scheme Provisions	.174	.068	.168	2.555	.011	.040	.307
R = .168, R Square = .028, Adjusted R Square = .024, Std. Error of the Estimate = .446708, R Square Change = .028, F Change = 6.530, df1 = 1, df = 224, Sig. F Change = .011

a. Dependent Variable: Financial well-being; b. Predictors: (Constant), Public Pension Scheme Provisions

After testing the predictive potential of the global variable (Public pension scheme provision) ( Table 9 ) on the dependent variable (Perceived financial wellbeing), the researcher proceeds to examine the predictive power of each of the indicators of public pension scheme provision on financial wellbeing ( Table 10 ).

Table 10

Table 10. Regression analysis results for the indicators of Public Pension Scheme Provisions.

Coefficients
Model		Unstandardized Coefficients		Standardized Coefficients	t	Sig.	95.0% Confidence Interval for B
		B	Std. Error	Beta		Lower Bound	Upper Bound
1	(Constant)	3.281	.240		13.664	.000	2.808	3.755
	Security of PPSP	−.037	.056	−.052	−.658	.511	−.147	.074
	Sustainability of PPSP	.026	.043	.043	.599	.550	−.059	.111
	Expansion of the PPSP	123	.052	.159	2.363	.019	.225	.020
	Adequacy of PPSP	.216	.046	.315	4.661	.000	.125	.307
	Commitment to PPSP	.078	.049	.116	1.582	.115	−.019	.175
R = .356, R Square = .126, Adjusted R Square = .107, Std. Error of the Estimate = .44686, R Square Change = .126, F Change = 6.372, df1 = 5, df = 220, Sig. F Change = .000

a. Dependent Variable: Financial well-being; Predictors: (Constant), Commitment to PPSP, Expansion of the PPSP, Adequacy of PPSP, Sustainability of PPSP, Security of PPSP.

The first indicator was Security of Public Pension Scheme Provisions. Table 10 shows tabulated results of Security of Public Pension Scheme Provisions being regressed against perceived financial wellbeing. Security of Public Pension Scheme Provisions was not a significant predictor of perceived financial wellbeing (β = −0.052, p ≥ 0.05). This implies that changes that occur in the sustainability of public pension scheme provisions do not lead to changes that occur in financial wellbeing. This finding supports the null hypothesis (H_1a), which stated that “Security of Public Pension Scheme Provisions is not significantly associated with perceived financial wellbeing.” However, this quantitative finding differs from the qualitative findings. For example, see below.

Interviewee number 9 on the security of public pension scheme provisions and whether it boosts perceived financial wellbeing comments thus…

“…the unfortunate bit is that most modifications, both physical and cyber, require significant and substantial investment that is not imminently available…”

(Interviewee 9, Wakiso District, 224)

The second indicator was Sustainability of Public Pension Scheme Provisions. Table 10 shows tabulated results of Sustainability of Public Pension Scheme Provisions being regressed against perceived financial well-being.

Sustainability of Public Pension Scheme Provisions was not a significant predictor of perceived financial wellbeing (β = −0.043, p ≥ 0.05). This implies that changes that occur in sustainability do not lead to changes that occur in financial wellbeing.

This finding supports the null hypothesis (H_1b), which stated that “Sustainability of Public Pension Scheme Provisions is not significantly associated with perceived Financial Wellbeing.”

The qualitative findings, however, are different from the quantitative ones, as shown below.

Interviewee number 4, on how the sustainability of public pension scheme provisions can lead to perceived financial well-being, commented that…

“…the public pension scheme provisions are extremely sustainable and are enshrined in the pensions act and enshrined in the national laws governing us… I would like to inform the retiring primary school teachers of Wakiso district that the public pension scheme provisions are intact…”

(Interviewee 4, Wakiso District, 2024)

The third indicator was expansion of public pension scheme provisions. Table 10 shows the tabulated results of the expansion of public pension scheme provisions being regressed against perceived financial wellbeing.

Expansion of Public Pension Scheme Provisions was a significant predictor of financial well-being (β = 0.159, p ≤ 0.05). This implies that changes that occur in the expansion of public pension scheme provisions lead to changes that occur in perceived financial well-being.

This finding does not support the null hypothesis (H_1c), which stated that “expansion of public pension scheme provisions is not significantly associated with perceived financial wellbeing.” The quantitative findings are supported by the qualitative findings as shown below:

Interviewee number 8 on whether the expansion of public pension scheme provisions leads to perceived financial wellbeing contends that…

“…as a developing country that depends on donor support to carry out programmes, there is understandably some resistance to arbitrarily expanding the public pension scheme provisions with new provisions…”

(Interviewee 8, Wakiso District, 2024)

The fourth indicator was adequacy of public pension scheme provisions. Table 10 shows tabulated results of adequacy of public pension scheme provisions being regressed against perceived financial wellbeing.

Adequacy of Public Pension Scheme Provisions was a significant predictor of perceived financial wellbeing (β = −0.315, p ≤ 0.05). This implies that changes that occur in SPPSP lead to changes that occur in financial well-being.

This finding does not support the Null (H_1d), which stated that “adequacy of public pension scheme provisions is not significantly associated with financial wellbeing.” On the contrary, they support the alternate hypothesis, which states thus: “adequacy of the public pension scheme provisions is significantly associated with the financial wellbeing of retiring primary school teachers in Wakiso district.”

These findings are in line with the qualitative findings as shown below.

Interviewee number 6, on whether the adequacy of public pension scheme provisions can boost perceived financial well-being, remarked that…

“…I agree it is not perfect, but when compared to their counterparts who teach in private primary schools, their lot is a lot better…however, I would like to suggest that there is a need to continuously revise the amounts of pension due to retired primary school teachers…”

(Interviewee 6, Wakiso District, 2024)

Interviewee number 3, on whether the adequacy of public pension scheme provisions can boost perceived financial wellbeing, remarked that…

“…so, while debating the adequacy of the public pension scheme provisions, it needs to be contextualized…the teachers may not be the richest upon retirement, but they are not destitute…”

(Interviewee 3, Wakiso District, 2024)

The fifth indicator was commitment to public pension scheme provisions. Table 10 shows tabulated results of commitment to public pension scheme provisions being regressed against perceived financial well-being.

Commitment of Public Pension Scheme Provisions was not a significant predictor of perceived financial wellbeing (β = −0.116, p ≥ 0.05). This implies that changes that occur in commitment to public pension scheme provisions do not lead to changes that occur in perceived financial wellbeing.

This finding supports the null hypothesis (which stated that “commitment to public pension scheme provisions is not significantly associated with perceived financial wellbeing”).

However, the qualitative findings differ from the quantitative findings in that they support a relationship between commitment and perceived financial well-being, as indicated below:

Interviewee number 7, on whether commitment to public pension scheme provisions can lead to better perceived financial wellbeing, commented that…

“…it is no wonder that the financial wellbeing of retiring primary school teachers has been positively impacted…without the requisite amount of commitment, the seen improvement in the financial wellbeing of retired primary school teachers in Wakiso district may not have been possible…”

(Interviewee 7, Wakiso District, 2024)

Interviewee number 3, on whether commitment to public pension scheme provisions can lead to better perceived financial wellbeing, commented that…

“…the commitment element is very instrumental to the implementation of each and every provision in the public pension scheme…in this way, the provisions are designed to culminate in the financial well-being of the recipients of pensions…”

(Interviewee 3, Wakiso District, 2024)

The regression results for the global variable mostly aligned well with the correlation results, as they are consistently similar in the direction of results that when other indicators are controlled for in the multivariate regression model, the independent effect of expansion becomes more pronounced. This indicates that expansion plays a more critical role in combination with other variables rather than in isolation. With the exception of expansion of PPSP. However, note that although the correlation analysis suggested that expansion of public pension provisions was not significantly associated with perceived financial well-being, the regression analysis revealed it as a significant predictor. This discrepancy suggests.

3. Discussion

This subsection details the discussions on public pension scheme provisions and financial well-being. The researcher discusses the findings while referring to the extant body of literature on the subject matter and theory.

Objective one sought to examine the contribution of public pension scheme provisions to the financial wellbeing of retiring primary school teachers in Wakiso district. Results indicated that the public pension scheme is a significant predictor of the financial wellbeing of retiring primary school teachers in Wakiso district. This implies that positive change that occurs in the public pension scheme may yield financial wellbeing for retiring primary school teachers. This study finding demonstrates that security of the public pension scheme does not result in financial independence or financial wellbeing for primary school teachers in Wakiso district. Additionally, when the public pension scheme provisions are not secure, the result is that retiring teachers are not able to access medical care. These findings are in line with earlier findings such as those of Shankar & Asher (2016) , whose study explored how the financial wellbeing of pensioners on micro pensions was impacted by a multiplicity of tests and problems. Barr and Diamond (2008) noted that while reforming pension schemes, the ultimate goal was the wellbeing of the beneficiaries. The study established that the micro pensions had provisions that were not totally insulated from provincial politics and were not considered secure.

This study finding demonstrates that the sustainability of the public pension scheme does not result in the financial wellbeing of primary school teachers in Wakiso district. This implies that because the public pension scheme was not sustainable, retiring primary school teachers in Wakiso district were not assured of food security and nutrition. Furthermore, because the public pension scheme was not sustainable, retiring primary school teachers in Wakiso district were not enjoying good health and were unable to access reliable medical care. A case in point is Dhemba (2012) , whose study explored how retired civil servants in Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and South Africa were mired in abject poverty as the pension they received could not sustain them to the levels they were at as active civil servants. Ghellab (2017) noted that unless pension schemes were sustainable, they risked losing legitimacy as they do not deliver on the designated outcomes. The study found high levels of food malnutrition, poor health, and financial insecurity among the retirees. The study established this to be true in rural Zimbabwe, where the retired civil servants had to face the brunt of grinding poverty.

This study’s finding demonstrates that the expansion of public pension scheme provisions resulted in financial wellbeing for primary school teachers in Wakiso district. The finding proved that the expansion of public pension scheme provisions resulted in many instances where retired teachers in Wakiso district were able to enjoy food security and nutrition. The finding is similar to previous publications by Yeung & Breheny (2016) , whose study investigated how the financial wellbeing of older New Zealanders was impacted by the provisions in the pension scheme in the country that had been expanded to improve their living conditions. Holzmann and Hinz (2005) noted that pension scheme items and scope are subject to occasional changes to match the prevailing economic and social conditions. The study established that nutrition and health indicators in old people’s communities were high and their nutrition and life expectancy had improved tremendously following the expansion of the provisions in the pension scheme.

This study’s finding demonstrates that the adequacy of the public pension scheme provisions resulted in improved financial well-being of primary school teachers in Wakiso district. As a result of the adequacy of the public pension scheme provisions, food security and nutrition among retiring primary school teachers in Wakiso improved somewhat. The study finding also indicated that the adequacy of the public pension scheme provisions ensured that retiring primary school teachers enjoyed better health. The finding agrees with previous publications present in existing academic journal articles. A case in point is Béland (2019) , whose study explored how the adequacy of the pension scheme in the United States and Canada was changing the lives of retired public servants in meaningful and lasting ways. His study brought several indicators to light that made his case. Robalino (2017) asserts that the adequacy of pensions could not be uniform across the board and needed to be subject to revisions and adjustments to local conditions of specific countries. For instance, the study established that through a change in institution rules, the average pension due to retirees had become more adequate, and many were financially independent and were not a recurring burden to their respective families.

This study finding demonstrates that commitment to public pension scheme provisions does not result in the financial wellbeing of primary school teachers in Wakiso district. This implied that commitment to public pension scheme provisions did not culminate in improved food security and nutrition for retiring primary school teachers in Wakiso district. Additional findings by the study indicated that public pension scheme provisions did not ensure the wellness of retiring primary school teachers in Wakiso district. The result agrees with an article by Lloyd-Sherlock et al. (2012) , whose study explored how the financial wellbeing of retirees in South Africa and Brazil was impacted by the new contributory scheme. Kajwang (2022) also agrees that commitment to pension scheme improvement is seldom manifested in reality and remains largely in future plans that never seem to materialize. The result suggested that lack of commitment to the new contributory scheme caused many retired civil servants to have many health challenges, especially from communicable diseases like type 2 diabetes and hypertension, and they were not able to get the care they needed.

4. Conclusion

The findings of this study reveal that public pension scheme provisions have a significant and positive influence on financial well-being. However, the impact of these provisions is nuanced, as not all indicators contribute equally to financial well-being. Specifically, the adequacy and expansion of public pension schemes emerged as significant predictors, suggesting that when these provisions meet the needs of beneficiaries and are expanded to cover broader populations, they substantially enhance financial well-being. In contrast, other indicators such as the security, sustainability, and commitment of public pension schemes did not significantly predict financial well-being. This indicates that while these factors are important for the overall stability and longevity of pension schemes, they may not directly influence the immediate financial well-being of beneficiaries.

These results highlight the importance of focusing on the adequacy and expansion of pension provisions to improve financial well-being. The findings also suggest that policymakers and administrators of public pension schemes should prioritize ensuring that pension benefits are sufficient and accessible to all eligible individuals. Future research could further explore the reasons behind the differential impact of these indicators, providing a more comprehensive understanding of how public pension schemes can be optimized to support financial well-being.

This conclusion underscores the complex relationship between public pension scheme provisions and financial well-being, offering valuable insights for both theory and practice in the field of public finance and social security.

References

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2. Béland, D. (2019). Narrative Stories, Institutional Rules, and the Politics of Pension Policy in Canada and the United States. Policy and Society, 38, 356-372. >https://doi.org/10.1080/14494035.2019.1644071

3. Dhemba, J. (2012). Overcoming Poverty in Old Age: Social Security Provision in Lesotho, South Africa and Zimbabwe Revisited. International Social Work, 56, 816-827. >https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872812446529

4. Ghellab, Y. (2017). Social Protection and the Future of Work. International Labour Organization.

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6. Kajwang, B. (2022). Role of Pension Management on Economic Growth: A Review of Literature. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, 11, 635-641.

7. Lloyd-Sherlock, P., Barrientos, A., Moller, V.,&Saboia, J. (2012). Pensions, Poverty and Wellbeing in Later Life: Comparative Research from South Africa and Brazil. Journal of Aging Studies, 26, 243-252. >https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2012.02.003

8. Robalino, D. (2017). Pensions in the Middle East and North Africa: Time for Change. World Bank.

9. Shankar, S.,&Asher, M. G. (2016). Micro-Pensions in India: Issues and Challenges. International Social Security Review, 64, 1-21. >https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-246x.2011.01390.x

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