Take-Up of Welfare Benefits in OECD Countries

Abstract

This series is designed to make available to a wider readership selected labour market, social policy and migration studies prepared for use within the OECD. Authorship is usually collective, but principal writers are named. The papers are generally available only in their original language-English or French-with a summary in the other.

Welfare-Based Income Among Immigrants in the Netherlands: Differences in Social and Human Capital

“…We wish to put the capital theory's assumption to the test by alternatively formulating that if this assumption adds up, immigrants with hostcountry-specific capital are not only more successful in the labor market but, in the case of having no income, are also more likely to successfully apply for welfare support. One of the major obstacles of finding the way to welfare support is acquiring information about welfare eligibility and the required bureaucratic procedures (Currie, 2004;Hernanz, Malherbet, & Pellizzari, 2004). Hence, host-country-specific skills or contacts can usefully attribute to being successful in the labor market and to the search for information about benefit programs' application procedures.…”

The Non-Take-Up of Health and Social Benefits: What Implications for Social Citizenship?

“…However, since his wake-up call a solid body of literature has emerged investigating the scope of the phenomenon in several countries. To date it is common sense that non-take-up is present in relevant scope in all OECD countries (Hernanz et al 2004) and EU member states (European Commission 2006;Eurofound 2015) ranging from rates between 20 to 80 % depending on the type of benefit and the country of research. Several studies advance the country specific research agendas in Austria (e. g. Fuchs et al 2020), Belgium (e. g. Van Mechelen and Janssens 2017), Finland (e. g. Bargain et al 2012), Canada (e. g. Daigneault and Macé 2020), France (e. g. Rode 2009; Warin 2016), Greece and Spain (Matsaganis et al 2010), Germany (e. g. Becker and Hauser 2005;Bruckmeier and Wiemers 2018;Harnisch 2019) and the Netherlands (e. g. Rei-jnders et al 2018).…”

Overcoming non-take-up of rights: A realist evaluation of Integrated Rights-Practices

“…These ideas are reflected in the dominant explanations for non-take-up based on rational choice theory and behavioural economics. Non-take-up is considered the result of the trade-off between the potential benefit of rights and the information, process and social costs associated to claiming them (Hernanz et al, 2004). These costs are mediated by and through both the demand-and supply-side of the welfare state (Van Oorschot, 1996).…”

“…Yet, it is widely recognized that disadvantaged individuals often lack this knowledge or have misperceptions about welfare provisions (Eurofound, 2015). When the precondition of awareness is fulfilled, people weigh the perceived benefit of welfare programmes against the information, process and social costs (Hernanz et al, 2004). Information costs entail that, even when people are aware of certain rights, their help-seeking behaviour can still be impeded by imperfect information about public services, the eligibility criteria, the claiming process and the consequences.…”