This article discusses the specific situation of social policy for the elderly in the Netherlands. On the one hand, due to a prolonged high birth rate after the Second World War, the proportion of the aged is relatively moderate in comparison with surrounding countries. On the other hand, more aged people live in intramural institutions than in other countries, which contrasts with the availability of informal care, resulting from the relatively large proportion of younger persons. Some possible explanations for this paradoxical situation are explored, especially the competition between the different social "pillars" in Dutch society during the expansion of the welfare state.