The social security institution regularly assesses the level of protection offered by the scheme through the actuary's analysis of the replacement rate and other relevant adequacy measures. When assessing benefit adequacy of a pension scheme, the social security institution considers retirement income from other sources, such as any universal non-contributory pension, mandatory or voluntary occupational or individual pension plans, and/or legislated end-of-service payments.

Inflation, salary increases and the regularity of the adjustment of the scheme's parameters (such as a salary ceiling used for benefit calculations) affect adequacy of benefits. For instance, a salary ceiling used to determine benefits that is not periodically adjusted at least in line with average wage increases will gradually make benefits less significant for high or medium wage earners.

The ILO has several legal instruments, such as the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102) and Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202), which provide guidance for ensuring benefit adequacy as well as the scope and extent of coverage for all nine branches of social security, namely medical care, sickness, unemployment, old age, employment injury, family, maternity, invalidity and survivors' benefits.