To Claim or Not to Claim: Investigating Non-Take-Up of Welfare Schemes Targeting Hong Kong Older Adults and the Stigma Attached to Them

Abstract

This article investigates the unique contribution of specific programme characteristics together with personal stigma, stigmatisation by the public, and claims stigma, to the non-take-up of targeted income support among Hong Kong older adults. Drawing on data from a sample of 3,299 Hong Kong older adults aged 65 or above, we find that between 11-14 per cent of eligible participants did not receive cash transfers from Normal and Higher Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) and old-age Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (old-age CSSA). By combining mainstream economic analysis with attempts to quantify welfare stigma (Baumberg, 2016) we find that transaction costs were most consistently and strongly related to non-take-up of targeted income support; non-take-up of old-age CSSA and Higher OALA but not Normal OALA varied with welfare stigma after controlling for personal and household characteristics of study participants. This article further adds to the literature by examining the effect of recent reforms to asset- and means-tested benefits for the same target population of older adults on take-up in the East Asian context. The article suggests that automatic switching of beneficiaries from Normal OALA to Higher OALA effectively facilitated higher take-up of the latter. The policy implications of these various findings are discussed.

Understanding the life experiences of elderly in social isolation from the social systems perspective: using Hong Kong as an illustrating example

“…Although I managed to get it (CSSA) at last, I still feel angry when I recall the process” (H1). This supports the existing literature on social services and welfare system issues that constitute obstacles for the elderly ( 32 , 59 ). While the elderly had to rely on social security to make a living, the welfare system is not applicant-friendly, which results in the needy elderly being barred from the financial support provided at the societal level.…”

“…Such instances also occur in the Chinese context such as in Hong Kong where some of the elderly do not receive social assistance or security because they are not considered eligible applicants ( 32 ). As noted by Kühner and Chou ( 59 ), the costs and difficulties in the procedures for applying for social security constitute a barrier for the elderly to receive financial assistance from the Government. The level of welfare support received by the elderly appears to have cultural differences.…”

“…While some of the Western countries (e.g., Norway and Finland) adopt a social-democratic welfare regime characterized by a high level of Government intervention, generous social assistance, and universal provision of services which may help promote social inclusion ( 60 ), the welfare regime in Hong Kong is featured by minimum Government intervention and no public pension scheme, and the caretaking responsibility is shouldered by the family ( 61 ). As a result, the elderly in Hong Kong experience an inadequate amount of social assistance and community service ( 59 , 62 ) and are more prone to social isolation.…”

Moving beyond stereotype: A qualitative study of long‐standing recipients of the Indonesian conditional cash transfers (CCT/PKH)

“…In recent times, a number of common stereotypes have been identified, leading to feelings of shame, fear of losing respect, reluctance to reveal assets and income, and fear of humiliation (Kühner & Chou, 2023). The role of prototypes in shaping ideas has shown that stereotypes can have a significant impact on this process.…”

When means‐testing meets work‐testing: A multi‐level institutional analysis of claiming in‐work benefits in Hong Kong

“…Thus, a multi‐level institutional analysis of claimants' experiences displays actors' aggregated moves and meaning‐making processes in relation to the welfare systems (Gřundělová, 2021; Rice, 2013). As the recent research on welfare claimants' experiences in Chinese contexts focuses more on poverty stigma (Chan et al, 2022; Kühner & Chou, 2023; Li & Walker, 2017), a more institutional and contextual analysis is needed to link the meanings of surviving below the poverty line and accessing welfare at the street level (Fuertes & Lindsay, 2016).…”